Lewis Hamilton insisted he "is built differently" as he continued to rule out extending his Formula 1 career into the 2030s. Following the announcement earlier in October that Africa will return to the F1 calendar at some point in the 2030s with a race in Rwanda, Hamilton had said he hoped he would be able to compete in the first grand prix on the continent since 1993. Given Hamilton turns 42 in January and will be 45 at the start of the 2030 F1 season, at which point it is far from certain the circuit in Rwanda will be ready, it was initially unclear how seriously his comments should be taken.
But quizzed on the topic on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said: "I mean, firstly, you've never had anyone like me here in the 70 years [of the sport's history], so I feel that I'm built differently. "Of course, there are challenges up ahead that I can't foresee that come with age. But along this way, along this journey, there have been so many preconceived ideas about the fact that your reaction time drops off.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "Did you see my reaction in the last race? My reaction is faster than some of the youngest people here. There are lots of tools that you can utilise to continue to keep yourself, your mind sharp.
"I guess as long as you're willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now, I can't say in four years whether I want to continue to do what I'm doing. But I love what I'm doing still now. I'm still all in, and I will be for the foreseeable future." Hamilton's current contract with Ferrari is understood to run until the end of the 2027 season, with the Brit holding an option to extend for a further year should he wish to do so.
After a blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, Hamilton's performances during his first year in red raised doubts, at times from the driver himself himself, over whether his skills were declining, but he has bounced back with a much-improved 2026 campaign, which included a memorable victory in Barcelona. Hamilton continued: "Whether or not I can compete at 44 with a 20-year-old, who knows? But at 41, I can compete with a 20-year-old.
So, time will tell whether I'm here in the 2030s, we'll see. "But I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of still not having the performance. I don't want to be driving around with that really dropped off.
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