HAMILTON: WINNING ISN’T EVERYTHING
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Lewis Hamilton said winning a record-breaking eighth world championship in 2021 would not be the determining factor in whether he quits after the season.
The attempt to land a drivers’ crown that would move the 36-year-old Briton above Michael Schumacher to become the most decorated driver in the sport’s history will go hand-in-hand with the issue of his future in Formula One.
If all you’re going for is titles, I feel like you could potentially lose your way.
“I’ve made a really important decision in my mind, that I don’t want that to be the deciding factor,” Hamilton said in a conference call at the launch of the Mercedes car for 2021.
“I got into racing because I loved racing and I think that’s got to always be at the core of what I do. If all you’re going for is accolades, if all you’re going for is titles, I feel like you could potentially lose your way.”
“Of course it’s the ultimate dream, but I don’t think that’s necessarily going to be the deciding factor whether to stay or keep going.”
Hamilton denied that a one-year extension to his contract had increased the possibility that the upcoming season could be his final one in the sport.
“I am in the fortunate position where I have achieved most of the stuff that I wanted to, so there is no real need to plan too far into the future.”
“We are living in an unusual period of time. I just wanted one year, then we can talk about if we do more and keep adding to it by one if we have to.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insisted that despite seven successive constructors’ titles the team had the “same fire, hunger and passion” as when he arrived in 2013.