Lewis Hamilton’s colourful life outside of Formula 1 is what will one day lure him into retirement however when that will be he is not sure, but admits that the longer he stays in the sport the more he misses out on opportunities and experiences that exist beyond the paddock.
Speaking to journalists in Malaysia, Hamilton was candid about his current state-of-mind as well as his future, “It’s like the weather and trying to find the balance. I’ve got another year with the team and I do want to continue. But, I’m at that point where there’s that question…”
“You can’t come back to F1. If it’s next year, if it’s five years from now, whatever happens, you’re gonna miss it when you finish. There’s a saying you stay as long as you can. I’m not quite sure about that exactly, but there is a lot of life left beyond it. There are things that I’ve missed in life.
“I was talking to my best friend the other day about things that I do envy or look forward to, like living in one place, getting a routine, that’s my gym, I have game night with my friends here, my family. Each year I stay in the sport I delay those things, but from 40 onwards there’s so much time for it.”
Hamilton revealed how the passing of a family member highlighted the issue, “My auntie died from cancer and on her last day she said: I’ve worked every day with the plan of stopping one day and doing all these different things, and then I ran out of time. So I’m battling with that in my mind.”
“So I live my life day-by-day and try to live it to the maximum. I want to keep racing but there are these other things I want to do. I just want to make sure I choose the right time, but I think I will.”
As for exactly what he wants to pursue, the 2017 F1 World Champion explained, “I have discovered these other strengths and qualities and I don’t mind going to start in a company at the bottom and working my way up if that’s what I end up doing.”
“I don’t mind doing an internship. I’m excited about learning new crafts. It’s exciting, it’s risky and I like the idea of that. It’s different if you’re worried about a pension and you don’t have the financial stability.
“There’s the charity stuff I’ve done before, but I’m really starting to focus on the future as my time comes to an end in F1, putting things in place for that part of my future,” added Hamilton.