Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has reaffirmed his desire to continue racing into his mid-40s, insisting he is unlike any driver the sport has seen before.
The 40-year-old recently revealed that his ambition to compete in a Grand Prix in Africa remains a major motivation for extending his career.
Formula 1 has signed a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to bring the sport back to Africa in the early 2030s, marking the continent’s first Grand Prix since 1993.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix, Hamilton said he felt he was “built differently” and dismissed assumptions that age would necessarily affect his competitiveness.
“F1 has never had anyone like me in the 70 years” of the sport, he said.
Hamilton also pointed to his reaction time in the previous race as evidence that he can still compete against younger drivers.
“Of course there are challenges up ahead that I can’t foresee that come with age. But along this journey there have been so many pre-conceived ideas like that your reaction time drops off,” he said.
“Did you see my reaction time in the last race? It was faster than some of the youngest people here.”
The Ferrari driver, who will be at least 45 when the proposed Rwandan Grand Prix takes place, admitted that his long-term plans could change but insisted he remains fully committed to racing.
“As long as you are willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now – I can’t say in four years whether I will want to continue doing what I’m doing – but I am still all in. I will be for the foreseeable future,” he added.
