Lewis Hamilton has made it crystal clear that Formula 1 retirement is not on his radar, after claiming \u201ca lot of people are trying to retire\u201d him.<\/p>\n
Hamilton\u2019s defiant response comes after Ralf Schumacher, the six-time grand prix winner turned pundit, told Hamilton<\/a> and Fernando Alonso to retire at the end of the season.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton confirms Ferrari future beyond F1 2026<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n After a challenging first season at Ferrari for Hamilton, the seven-time world champion has made an encouraging start to F1 2026.<\/p>\n Hamilton scored his first Ferrari podium at the Chinese Grand Prix and has generally cut a more upbeat figure in 2026.<\/p>\n That, however, did not stop Schumacher from telling Hamilton, the sport\u2019s most successful driver, that \u201cit\u2019s time\u201d to retire.<\/p>\n Schumacher extended that statement to also cover Alonso, arguing that the pair of F1 veterans had their time in the sun, and needed to step aside for the next generation to take over.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s former McLaren teammate Jenson Button, meanwhile, said that Hamilton has shown in F1 2026 that \u201che has still got the speed.\u201d<\/p>\n 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard has warned Ferrari that it cannot miss the moment to promote Oliver Bearman, the Ferrari-backed driver who continues to impress with Haas.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people that are trying to retire me,\u201d Hamilton stated ahead of the Canadian GP.<\/p>\n It is safe to say that Schumacher\u2019s advice will not be followed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not even on my thoughts,\u201d Hamilton declared.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m already thinking of what will be next and planning for like the next five years, but I still plan to be here for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari, though the longevity of his contract was unclear.<\/p>\n Hamilton has now confirmed that his Ferrari contract extends beyond the current season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still in contract, so everything\u2019s 100 per cent clear to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hamilton stressed that he is \u201cstill focused\u201d and \u201cmotivated\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI still love what I do with all my heart, and I\u2019m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it,\u201d he defiantly added.<\/p>\n More on Lewis Hamilton from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton retirement noise fades as Jenson Button issues Ferrari verdict<\/a><\/p>\n First look: Lewis Hamilton takes centre stage in F1 26 game announcement<\/a><\/p>\n Alongside his record-equalling seven titles, Hamilton holds outright records such as most wins (105) and most pole positions (104).<\/p>\n But, it is not all about the records for Hamilton, as he prepares to race on.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never really thought about how you would define success. I think success can be perceived in lots of different ways,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think waking up every day and trying again, and giving it a try, always trying to be better than your previous self, evolving into the person that you feel comfortable in, who you want to be, overcoming adversity, proving people wrong that try to hold you back or bring you down, the way you show up.<\/p>\n \u201cI think of course from the outside world results are what people call success, but I think internally for me it\u2019s just progress. If you\u2019re progressing, you\u2019re succeeding.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really put a lot of pressure on\u2026 That\u2019s why I\u2019ve always said I\u2019m really grateful for the records and those sorts of things, but they\u2019re not things I ever think of. The things I think of is every day how I tune my brain, because ultimately I\u2019m really focused on\u2026 You can tune yourself to believe what you want. And I\u2019m always trying to work on my inner self to programme myself to be moving forward, not looking at what\u2019s behind me.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a part of the journey but not necessarily the most important thing. The important thing is how you\u2019re getting up, it\u2019s how you\u2019re pushing forward, it\u2019s how you\u2019re trying to evolve, and just looking forward, always looking forward, never looking back.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton sits fifth in the Drivers\u2019 Championship standings<\/a> ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, level on 51 points with reigning world champion McLaren\u2019s Lando Norris.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc is two positions and eight points up the road.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n