Lewis Hamilton's F1 retirement 'ALREADY decided'

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton's F1 retirement 'ALREADY decided'

The seven-time world champion will make the move to Ferrari next season

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 7 November 2024 21:00

It has been revealed that Lewis Hamilton has already decided when he will retire from Formula 1.

The seven-time world champion has been racing at the pinnacle of motorsport since making his debut for McLaren back in 2007.

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He made the switch to Mercedes in 2013, where he went on to establish himself as one of the greatest drivers the history of the sport.

It has been a frustrating few years for the Brit however, having been replaced by Red Bull star Max Verstappen as F1's dominant force, with his last championship victory coming in 2020.

Lewis Hamilton is set to make the move to Ferrari next season

The seven-time world champion is excited to team up with Charles Leclerc

Author reveals retirement discussions

The 39-year-old has no intention to bow out from the sport any time soon, admitting that his passion for racing hasn't diminished over the years, but many have questioned how long he will be able to keep performing at the top level.

And now, Matt Whyman - author of Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane - has opened up on some of his discussions with the 105-time race winner.

Whyman spent 18 months travelling and working alongside the team, gaining a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the organisation, which involved getting exclusive access to their biggest stars.

Speaking to The Mirror, the award-winning writer revealed that the prospect of retirement was one of the topics he discussed with Hamilton ahead of his upcoming transfer.

Hamilton has cut a dejected figure in recent years with Mercedes

He said: "I asked him directly what was going on and he just said, ‘It is every kid's dream who gets involved in motor racing to race a Ferrari, and that is it - I did not want to get to the end of my career and look back and go, what if?’.

"He says he knows when the end of his career will be, he has got this very clear plan ahead of him.

"He said it is really meaningful to him, the fact that he has won all these races with Mercedes and he has been on this journey.

"The one thing he had not done and he just thought, ‘I do not want to walk away and go, I wish I had done that'."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Formula 1