Hamilton plans to race ‘well into my 40s’

Lewis Hamilton says he will be racing “well into my 40s” and views Fernando Alonso’s longevity as a sign of how long he can aim to perform at the highest level.

Alonso’s new contract with Aston Martin will see him racing in Formula 1 beyond the age of 45, with his deal committing him to driving until at least the end of the 2026 season. The 39-year-old Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of this year to move to Ferrari and sees the new regulations in two seasons’ time as a motivating factor to achieve more success.

“I’m going to be racing well into my 40s,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “So it’s no short-term thing. I’m going to be racing for quite some time still, so it’s definitely good that he (Alonso) is still around. I hope that he keeps going for a little bit longer as well.