31/10/2015
NEWS STORY
Lewis Hamilton has said he intends to see out his F1 career with Mercedes.
The coveted McLaren F1 LM he would have been gifted after winning three titles with the Woking team a distant memory, Lewis Hamilton has said that once his current contract with Mercedes comes to an end he will probably agree one more before retiring.
Earlier this year the Briton agreed a new three-year deal with Mercedes which keeps him with the Brackley squad until the end of 2018 however, talking to reporters in Mexico he said he envisages another contract which will keep him in F1 until 2022 after which he will retire.
"I've got a contract for another three years. I imagine beyond this three years there could be one more contract of three or four years I will commit to and that would be it for me," he said.
Asked if he has the desire to move to another team, having been linked with Ferrari, the Briton, who became part of the McLaren driver development program in 1998, said: "There was always that talk of driving another car and I have done that. I’ve ticked that box off. I have been driving with Mercedes since I was 13 so I can't honestly see myself anywhere else.
"I don't like to say never," he added, "but I think it would be pretty awesome to finish my career with this team."
Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, a move that many believed would prove to be the biggest mistake of his life, the Briton taking the seat previously filled by Michael Schumacher. Indeed, Hamilton appeared to cite the German legend as one of those drivers who remains in the sport too long, thereby depriving an up and coming talent of a seat.
For every year that he stayed - because he could stay and he enjoyed it - that's one less seat for someone else that potentially could have come along maybe," said Hamilton. "Maybe there wasn't anyone good enough at the time but I just remember how it happened for me in 2006. If they had not moved maybe I would not be in this position today, I would be somewhere else.
"I've got a friend also who had a chance to be in Formula One but it got missed and he never got the chance again," he added, "so I am conscious I don't want to hog it."
Of course, one could argue that Schumacher, who in partnership with Ross Brawn (and Rory Byrne) had won titles with Benetton and Ferrari, helped lay the foundations of the team that is now dominating the sport.
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