A delighted Lewis Hamilton indicated that he intended to continue in Formula 1 after achieving his best result of the season with a second place at the French Grand Prix.
The seven-time champion insisted that despite his Mercedes being behind, he enjoys F1 more than ever, suggesting the 37-year-old may well be racing past the end of his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
The race at the Paul Ricard was the 300th in Hamilton’s 16-year F1 career, but he went on to stress he was as energetic as ever.
“I still feel fresh and there’s plenty of fuel in the tank,” he said. “I enjoy the process and I come in every day and work with this group of people and enjoy working with this sport. There are great people in this sport and I’m enjoying my time more than ever.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had joked on Saturday that Hamilton could go on for another five or 10 years and reach 400 races, but more seriously he revealed he and his driver had discussed his future. The team has struggled this year, but Hamilton has remained motivated and welcomed talks of extending his career.
“I want to get back to winning ways and I’m sure we’ll get together soon,” he said, before expressing his gratitude to some of the key people who have helped him get this far. “It’s my 300th GP and I woke up incredibly grateful for all the people who have been with me. Ron Dennis, Mercedes, Martin Whitmarsh, Toto, Niki Lauda… I’ve had an incredible journey with them.
His team-mate George Russell finished third in France, Mercedes’ first double podium of the season, and although winner Max Verstappen’s Red Bull still had a real advantage, Hamilton felt the team could be optimistic going to Hungary next weekend.
“We have to keep pushing and hopefully we get a bit closer. This weekend it’s [Max] was only 10 seconds down the road,” he said. “George and I didn’t expect to be second and third, it’s a huge day for me and I’m bringing that positivity to Budapest.”
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