‘Why should I stop?’: Lewis Hamilton shuts down F1 retirement talk

An eighth-place finish in France means the former champion has just one podium spot from seven races this year

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Lewis Hamilton has again rejected suggestions he could walk away from Mercedes and retire during or after this season.

The seven-time world champion has been unable to recapture form and consistency to engage in another title fight with Max Verstappen, with his team not yet ensuring the new car design for the 2022 season is in perfect working order.

A series of finishes low down the leaderboard has Hamilton only sixth after seven races, with just 50 points accumulated so far – and teammate George Russell 34 ahead of him in fourth.

Martin Brundle claimed after the Spanish Grand Prix that Hamilton’s willingness to exit the race initially was an “alarming” indication of his discomfort this season, while the British driver himself said he was “losing his mind” after more struggles at the Monaco Grand Prix.

But that’s far from suggesting he’s ready to walk and he offered a blunt response when asked about retirement plans. “Why should I stop?” he told Corriere della Sera.

“Let’s take this season: I probably won’t win the title, but I feel the same pleasure of competing as when I started.

“Maybe one day I won’t be able to take the pressure any more, I’ll be tired, but that day hasn’t come yet.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has already tipped his veteran racer to bounce back strongly once handling issues with the car are fixed, with Hamilton himself offering the team the target of the British Grand Prix, in July, to make the car competitive again.

“I’m hoping by Silverstone that we have the car where we need it, at least by then, to be able to fight these guys for the win,” he said.

“That’s what I’m working every day for, so that we can fight on home turf and give them the best race that we can.

“I know everyone back at the factory is working as hard as they can to continue to make advances with the car, and I have no doubts that we will.”