Lewis Hamilton Talks F1 Retirement Rumors, Ferrari Contract Status Ahead of Canadian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton believes F1 fans should "get used to" him being around since he isn't thinking about retirement.

"Yep, I'm still in contract so everything is 100% clear to me," he told reporters Thursday ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. "I'm still focused, I'm still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart. I'm going to be here for quite some time so get used to it. 

"There's a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that's not even on my thoughts. I'm already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years. But yeah, I still plan to be here for some time."

Speculation about retirement among fans is only natural considering Hamilton is 41 years old, but he made it clear he is still under contract with Ferrari and doesn't plan on walking away from a sport he has long been one of the faces of for the foreseeable future.

When Hamilton does retire, he will leave the sport as one of the greatest of all-time.

After all, he is a seven-time world champion with 105 Formula One race victories. He helped guide Mercedes to eight straight Constructors championships from 2014 through 2021 and is now racing for Ferrari.

While the legendary driver doesn't appear to be at his peak like he was during that championship run with Mercedes and hasn't won a world championship since 2020, he is still fifth in this year's driver standings ahead of the likes of Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz, among others.

Teammate Charles Leclerc is in third, which is why Ferrari is in second place in the Constructors battle behind only Mercedes.

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are in first and second place, respectively, in the driver standings, which has propelled Mercedes to a dominant start this season.

At this point, Hamilton is no longer the clear-cut favorite to win every time he is on the track like he was at his best when he was consistently taking home championships.

But he has still been a top-five driver in the early going in 2026 and plans on continuing to test himself against younger competition for years to come.