Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton confirms F1 retirement plan ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

GB News carries an article about seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton who has sought the advice of some sporting greats, Caliber.Az reprints the article.

Lewis Hamilton has opened up on what he plans to do once he retires from Formula One after speaking to a host of sports stars.

The 39-year-old has struggled on the track in recent years to increase the thought that he could soon call it a day as a driver.

Hamilton will remain in F1 for at least another season having signed a deal to join Ferrari in 2025, ending a 12-year association with Mercedes.

He will turn 40 next January but is not the oldest on the grid, with Fernando Alonso holding that accolade at the age of 42.

How his first season at Ferrari pans out may have a big influence on how long Hamilton will continue to put himself through the rigours of racing.

But he has already thought of what he would like to do when he hangs up the steering wheel.

Hamilton told GQ: "The difficult thing is I want to do everything.

"I'm very ambitious. But I understand that you can't do —actually, I take that back because I don't believe in the word can't.

"To be a master at something, there's the 10,000 hours it takes. Obviously, I've done that in racing. There's not enough time to master all of these different things."

Asked specifically what will take up his time after racing, he said: "Well, I think it's going to be film and fashion."

Hamilton has always been keen on fashion, while he is also producing a Hollywood film based on F1 alongside Brad Pitt.

The seven-time world champion has had a poor start to the 2024 season with Mercedes and will aim for an improvement at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend after retiring early in Australia last time out.

Hamilton says meeting sports greats of the past and present has helped him shape his future life.

He said: "I’d spoken to so many amazing athletes, from Boris Becker to Serena Williams, even Michael Jordan.

"Talking to greats that I’ve met along the way, who are retired, or some that are still in competition, and the fear of what’s next, the lack of preparation for what’s next.

"A lot of them said: ‘I stopped too early.’ Or: ‘Stayed too long.’ ‘When it ended, I didn’t have anything planned.’ ‘My whole world came crashing down because my whole life has been about that sport.’

"Some of them were like: ‘I didn’t plan and it was a bit of a mess-up because I was really lost afterwards. There was such a hole. Such a void. And I had no idea how I was going to fill it. And I was in such a rush initially to try and fill it that you fill it with the wrong thing. And you make a few mistakes. And then eventually you find your way.’

"Some people took longer. Some people took shorter. But it just got my mind thinking about: Okay, when I stop, how do I avoid that?

"And so I got serious about finding other things that I was passionate about."

But before he moves on to his next chapter, Hamilton is determined to go out on a high at Mercedes.

"My focus is: How do I deliver the best year that this team has ever had, after all the great years we've had?" he said.

"It's how you engage with the people around you. Who has taken the news, some of them really well, some of them less so. How do you take them on this journey and leave on a high together?'

"I'm training harder than I've ever trained. I feel the most physically prepared I've ever been. So I'm really excited about the present, knowing that nothing is promised beyond that.

"But then it's also conceptualizing, I have all these ideas of things I want to do beyond, in the next phase."