Lewis Hamilton insisted he “is built differently” as he continued to rule out extending his Formula 1 career into the 2030s.
Following the announcement earlier in October that Africa will return to the F1 calendar at some point in the 2030s with a race in Rwanda, Hamilton had said he hoped he would be able to compete in the first grand prix on the continent since 1993.
Given Hamilton turns 42 in January and will be 45 at the start of the 2030 F1 season, at which point it is far from certain the circuit in Rwanda will be ready, it was initially unclear how seriously his comments should be taken.
But quizzed on the topic on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said: “I mean, firstly, you’ve never had anyone like me here in the 70 years [of the sport’s history], so I feel that I’m built differently.
“Of course, there are challenges up ahead that I can’t foresee that come with age. But along this way, along this journey, there have been so many preconceived ideas about the fact that your reaction time drops off.
“Did you see my reaction in the last race? My reaction is faster than some of the youngest people here. There are lots of tools that you can utilise to continue to keep yourself, your mind sharp.
“I guess as long as you’re willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now, I can’t say in four years whether I want to continue to do what I’m doing. But I love what I’m doing still now. I’m still all in, and I will be for the foreseeable future.”
Hamilton’s current contract with Ferrari is understood to run until the end of the 2027 season, with the Brit holding an option to extend for a further year should he wish to do so.
After a blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, Hamilton’s performances during his first year in red raised doubts, at times from the driver himself himself, over whether his skills were declining, but he has bounced back with a much-improved 2026 campaign, which included a memorable victory in Barcelona.
With Kimi Antonelli set to win the title this weekend in Mexico City, we look back at Hamilton’s dramatic 2017 title triumph, when he recovered to finish P9 after an opening-lap clash involving Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel
Hamilton continued: “Whether or not I can compete at 44 with a 20-year-old, who knows? But at 41, I can compete with a 20-year-old. So, time will tell whether I’m here in the 2030s, we’ll see.
“But I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of still not having the performance. I don’t want to be driving around with that really dropped off.
“My reaction has dropped off, my driving has dropped off, and my pace has dropped off, which everyone assumed last year. But I’ve proved everyone wrong with that, and I’ll continue to try to do so.”
Hamilton’s focus on Constructors’, not Drivers’ Championship
While Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli is set to seal the Drivers’ Championship this weekend with four races to spare, Hamilton is part of an extremely tight four-way battle for second place in the standings.
Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell is in second, a point ahead of Hamilton, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen five points further back and the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc three more points adrift.
Hamilton insists his focus is on ensuring Ferrari seal second in the Constructors’ Championship, in which they hold a 119-point over Red Bull and McLaren, with Mercedes 133 points clear out front.
Ferrari’s Hamilton claimed his first win in red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
“I’m not going to say it [second in the Drivers’ Championship] doesn’t mean anything, but it’s not something I focus on,” Hamilton said. “Winning the championship is the only thing any of us really care about.
“Maybe some people do care about the other positions, but for me, my sole focus is on making sure that we secure second in the Constructors’ Championship because the team deserve it.
“It’s a huge boost from last year and it really is something we can build on for next year.
“In terms of finishing second, third, fourth, you want to finish first.”
‘The car should be good here’
Hamilton is hopeful Ferrari can deliver a strong weekend in Mexico, where many believe the turbo element of their engine, which is smaller than their rivals’, could be an advantage at high altitude.
Asked about Ferrari’s chances, Hamilton said: “Someone just said that it should be good for our car, and I really have no idea.
“I mean, everyone’s going to be maximum downforce here. It would be an unusual experience for us all, because it’s like 25 or 30 per cent less downforce than we had the last time we drove here.
Speaking on F1 Show podcast, Ant Davidson explains why Ferrari could be dominant this weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix
“So, whether we can get the tyres switched on… the car should be good here.
“And being that we have high altitude, hopefully straight-line speed won’t be as affected as it is in some of the other places where at sea level the drag is significant.
“So, I’m hoping that we are able to continue on from the strong performance we had last year and bring it into this weekend.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Mexico City GP schedule
Friday October 30
6pm: Mexico City Grand Prix Practice One (session starts at 6.30pm)*
8pm: The F1 Show
9pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
9.30pm: Mexico City Grand Prix Practice Two (session starts at 10pm)*
Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Saturday October 31
5.15pm: Mexico City Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 6.30pm)
8pm: Mexico City Grand Prix Qualifying build-up
9pm: MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 1
5pm: F1 Academy Race 3
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP build-up
8pm: THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: Mexico City GP reaction
11pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 next heads south for the second leg of The Americas triple-header with the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
