“Winning the 8th title won’t be the deciding factor”- Lewis Hamilton on his retirement

“Winning the 8th title won’t be the deciding factor”- Lewis Hamilton, on retiring from Formula 1 in future, prioritizes love for the game.

If nothing goes wrong, then Lewis Hamilton would surely bag his 8th world title, and many believe that his retirement from Formula 1 would follow it.

However, the reigning champion has denied this possibility and said that it wouldn’t play a decisive factor in his decision to retire; rather, his love for racing would decide it.

“I have decided I don’t want that to be the deciding factor,” Hamilton said. “I got into racing because I loved it, and that’s got to always be at the core of what you do.

“If all you’re going for is accolades, I feel I could potentially lose my way. Of course, it is the ultimate dream, but I don’t think it will be the deciding factor whether I stay or keep going; it is more whether I still have a smile when I leave the garage.

“It is going back to: ‘Do you enjoy it?’ Last year was a really tough year for everyone, including me, but there were some really impactful moments. Will that be the case this year? We’ll see. Will I enjoy it as much? We’ll see. I am excited now, so I am sure I will.”

Mercedes doing a good job in enhancing representation

Hamilton being the first black F1 drivers speaks about the lack of diversity in the sport. However, with recent arguments of adding diversity in F1, Mercedes has taken some concrete steps, as per Hamilton.

“We are starting to see that progress, and it takes one step at a time,” he said. “That’s my driving force this year too – to make sure we continue to push for accountability. And on top of that hopefully, I can deliver some good performances.”

After taking the knee before races last year to highlight anti-racism, he said he had not yet decided what actions to take on the grid this year.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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