F1 | Here’s what could push future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton to leave Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton has spoken about what could push him to leave Formula 1..

Lewis Hamilton still feels a “great thrill” racing in Formula 1, but he is unsure if he would stay in the championship if he were to lose this feeling. After becoming the driver with the most pole positions and race wins, the English driver doesn’t seem ready to stop, but perhaps some doubts are starting to creep in.

In recent F1 history, there have been some drivers like Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen who have raced longer in Formula 1, but their careers were interrupted by periods of inactivity in which they tried new challenges like Rally, Endurance, IndyCar, and Dakar.

The 39-year-old Englishman will leave Mercedes after 12 seasons and will join Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season, fulfilling the dream of every Formula 1 driver, which is to race for the Prancing Horse. For Lewis Hamilton, the 2025 Formula 1 campaign will be his 19th consecutive year in the most important motorsport championship.

The future Ferrari driver spoke at a press conference about what he feels when driving an F1 car and what might make him decide to stop:

“Personally, when the mechanics strap me in and start the car, I feel the same sense of euphoria as when I first started. Then, when they take off the tire warmers, you leave the pit lane, enter the first corner, and complete the first lap, I always feel a great thrill.” – he explained – “There are so many moments when I catch myself thinking I can still do this. It’s really something I wish all of you could feel and experience.”

The British driver then admitted that this is probably what has kept him racing for so long, suggesting that if he were to become “numb” to these sensations, he would likely be looking for something else to do.

The 105-time Grand Prix winner stated that his retirement from Formula 1 should be replaced by something that provides a similar thrill: “The great thing, and it’s probably why I’m still racing, is that it hasn’t become so normal that I no longer feel those emotions. If I were numb, it would really suck, and I’d probably be doing something else.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion continued.

The future Ferrari F1 driver then concluded: “But I’d have to fly fighter jets or something like that to get close to those feelings.”

Certainly, thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Scuderia Ferrari, we will have the chance to see the British driver on track for several more seasons, which will bring him to over 20 consecutive seasons in F1 and beyond 40 years of age.