Lewis Hamilton has responded to the ongoing speculation about his Formula 1 future. The Brit is having a better year so far as a Ferrari driver than his debut season with the Scuderia. Yet the rumors about retirement for the world champion have never completely gone away. However, Hamilton now dismisses those: ‘I still plan to stay here for a while’.
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Lewis Hamilton is having a better second season in Ferrari red than his first season. After a whole year without a trip to the podium, the Brit ended this drought during the recent Chinese GP. Yet the speculations about retirement for the seven-time world champion did not completely disappear. Hamilton himself puts an end to these rumors in Canada.
“I am still under contract next year, so for me everything is one hundred percent clear,” says the Ferrari driver. “I am still focused and motivated. I still do my work with all my heart, and I will stay here for quite some time, so get used to that. There are many people who want to send me into retirement, but I don’t even think about that. I am already thinking about what comes next and planning for the next five years, but yes, I still plan to stay here for a while.”
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Current situation at Ferrari
Back to the current race weekend in Canada. Hamilton hopes to get the most out of the SF-26 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “We have to stay realistic about where we stand at the moment, for example compared to Mercedes, but anything can still happen,” continues the seven-time world champion. “The balance probably shifts every weekend. Mercedes is of course at the top. McLaren also looked incredibly strong in the previous race (Miami, ed.), they have made a big step forward. Red Bull has also made a huge leap, so I think we are roughly between McLaren and Red Bull.”
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