Lewis Hamilton claims he will retire from Formula 1 before Max Verstappen’s new contract with Red Bull ends in 2028.
Before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Red Bull declared that Max Verstappen committed to them till 2028. In return, the Dutchman will receive an enormous sum as his base salary.
So much is the amount that Verstappen is already touching Hamilton’s pay at Mercedes, and they have more than a decade long difference in age. By the time Verstappen will be down with this contract, Hamilton will be well within his mid 40’s.
When asked about Verstappen’s contract length, Hamilton said he doesn’t think he will stick so long to see the end of his rival’s contract end. Further, he claims that he hopes he had picked something interesting to linger on by that time.
“I haven’t thought about that number,” said Hamilton. “Because I’m 37, a bit to go! I don’t plan being here close to that age. Hopefully I’ll have something else fun to do.”
Hamilton’s current contract runs till the end of the 2023 season. And that is seen as the last contract of his F1 career, as he has achieved everything in the sport and can do no more to prove his legacy.
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Lewis Hamilton has the hunger for the eighth title
Currently, Hamilton stands alongside Michael Schumacher with the most F1 world titles of seven. Though, Hamilton has constantly claimed that it isn’t his dream to surpass the former F1 legend. Nevertheless, a drive to be the best in him is still there.
The 37-year-old will again participate in the new F1 season and is entering among the hot favourites for the championship. During Mercedes’ W13 launch, The Briton claimed: “If you think what you saw at the end of last year was my best, wait until you see this year.”
A fair warning to his rivals, who would also be aiming to vie for the highest prize in the sport. Hamilton would be partnering with his compatriot George Russell in 2022, who has replaced Valtteri Bottas ahead of this season.
Before his debut season with Mercedes, Russell has claimed that he understands the greatness of Hamilton and admits he doesn’t stand a chance against his senior this season.
“He’s more experienced than I am. He knows what it takes to be a World Champion, and he knows what preparation he needs over the course of a pre-season to prepare himself best for that first race.”
Also read: Mercedes engineer insists they’re on the ‘same boat’ as Red Bull in terms of performance
