Hamilton dismisses retirement talk, confirms long-term Ferrari commitment

Lewis Hamilton spoke out against Formula One retirement speculation on Thursday and said he ​had a contract at Ferrari for 2027 and would be around for some time.

The seven-times world champion has yet to win a race for the Italian team since joining from Mercedes last year and will be 42 next January.

“I’m still under contract so everything’s 100 per cent ​clear to me,” the Briton told a press conference at the Canadian Grand ​Prix when asked about next season.

“I’m still focused, I’m still motivated. I still love what I do with all my heart and I’m going to be ​here for quite some time, so get used to it.”

Hamilton added that there were “a lot ​of people that are trying to retire me and that’s not even in my thoughts”.

The Briton is the most successful F1 driver of all time with a record 105 wins and 104 pole ​positions.

The first of those victories came at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his debut ​2007 season with McLaren.

His most recent was in Belgium in 2024.

“From the outside world results are what ‌people call success, but I think internally, for me, it’s just progress,” Hamilton said.

“If you’re progressing, then you’re succeeding. I don’t really put a lot of pressure on.

“I’ve always said I’m really grateful for the records and those sorts of things, but they’re not things ​I ever think of.”

Hamilton ​also revealed a change in approach for the Canadian weekend, saying he had decided not to spend time in the simulator at Maranello.

He said he ​had not used it before the Chinese Grand Prix either and ​that race had been his best this year, with third place and his first Ferrari podium.

“You find a setup (in the simulator) that you’re comfortable with, you get to the track and everything’s opposite. So then ​ you’re undoing the things you’ve learned,” he said.

“So it’s ​kind of hit and miss. I just decided, for this one, I’m just going to sit it out ​and focus more on the data.”

(Reuters)