Lewis Hamilton hits back at F1 retirement rumours before Miami GP

Amid ongoing rumours about his future in the sport, Lewis Hamilton has hit back and declared he wants to be F1’s answer to Tom Brady and LeBron James.

US actor Brad Pitt wil drive an F2 car

Lewis Hamilton wants to sign a new multi-year contract with Mercedes as he rallies against suggestions he will retire.

The seven-time world champion is out of contract at the end of this season but has always stated his intention to stay in F1.

But rather than agreeing a 12-month extension to his deal with Mercedes, worth £40million a year, he wants to open up discussions about a longer-term contract.

Hamilton, 38, said ahead of this weekend’s Miami GP that he is taking motivation from veteran basketball star LeBron James and NFL’s Tom Brady, by extending his career.

He said: “I’m not at the end of my career, I’m not in the downhill slope of my career. I’m in my prime.

“It all depends on how hard I want to work and keep myself in my prime, in terms of physical and mental capability.

“If you look at LeBron, if you look at Tom Brady, they have shown that it can be sustained for as long as you are dedicated enough to put the energy and time in.

Lewis Hamilton says he’s in his prime.

“Right now, I don’t plan on changing, I only plan on adding to the drive and the motivation and to being better. I’m massively driven.”

With his future in the balance - at least contractually - there has been speculation linking Charles Leclerc with a move from Ferrari to become Hamilton’s replacement.

It is a rumour that Hamilton shot down as he repeated his desire to remain with the Silver Arrows.

He added: “I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about ending my career anywhere else. I started at McLaren, I’d like to think I’ll always be a part of the McLaren family.

“I started there when I was 13 years old [as a junior driver], so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day.

“I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red…

“But then I go to my team, to Mercedes, and this is my home. I’m happy where I am. I haven’t signed a contract yet, but we are working on one.”

—The Sun

FANS ROAST BRAD PITT OVER F1 DEBUT NEWS

News that Brad Pitt will take to the track at Silverstone as he continues filming for the forthcoming F1 movie being co-produced by Lewis Hamilton prompted a hilarious response from snubbed rookie Colton Herta.

The Hollywood heartthrob, who will play a retired driver making his comeback, will begin filming on-site at the British Grand Prix in July between the main F1 sessions.

Pitt will drive an adapted F2 car that has been worked on by Hamilton and his Mercedes engineers.

As news of Pitt’s inclusion in the British Grand prix became public, Herta, who was last year denied a super-licence because he didn’t have enough points took to social media to deliver a hilarious response.

“Brad Pitt got a super license before me. Tough,” he wrote.”

Herta was being pursued by Red Bull, Alpha Tauri and McLaren

Brad Pitt got a super license before me. Tough. https://t.co/r7gedm1esn

— Colton Herta (@ColtonHerta) May 4, 2023

While Pitt’s movie remains untitled what we do know is the project is being lead by Joseph Kosinski, director of Top Gun: Maverick and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Hamilton insists he has been involved every step of the way.

“I don’t know absolutely every single plan with all the things we’ll be doing in the paddock, I’m more focused on making sure the script is where it needs to be,” he said in Miami.

“That’s where all the time is currently, going through the script.

“We’ve got a really great and diverse cast. Joe’s focus is to make us as embedded in this sport as possible. For me it’s to make sure it’s authentic, and that all of you and racing fans see its authenticity and say ‘this is believable’, and have a view of racing from a different perspective than you might see on TV.

“I’m spending a lot of time right now helping Joe and the team get the script right, it’s an amazing process and I’m really enjoying it.”

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has voiced his concerns about how invasive the filming will be on the sport.

“We’re going to start the shooting in Silverstone very soon, and you will see it will be the first movie when basically, they will be within the racing event,” he said.

“It will be quite invasive in terms of production, it’s something that we need to control in a way, but it will be another way of showing that F1 never stops.”