Pressed on whether he may not race next year, he said: “Well we’re in November and it’s crazy — Christmas isn’t that far away,” Hamilton said.
“Naturally, I feel great, I feel still very strong, I feel I can keep going for plenty of months.
“But you mentioned about Toto and shelf life. There’s multiple things that stay on the top of my mind.
“I would like to be here next year but there’s no guarantee of that, for sure. There’s a lot that excites me of the after [F1] life.”
Wolff has said that he’s keen to spend more time with his family, rather than following the Formula 1 paddock around all of the rumoured 23 races scheduled for next year.
It is thought that he is negotiating a new role within Mercedes, which will see him continue to play a key role in the team, but with less time at races.
Hamilton said that he understood Wolff’s position and highlighted the partnership between the pair that has brought dominance in the hybrid era.
Hamilton amid the celebrations of Mercedes’ seventh F1 Constructors’ Championship
Mercedes-AMG
He has spoken at length about using his position to drive change outside F1, notably in equality and environmental issues, but his latest comments strike a different tone to an interview last weekend following the Portuguese Grand Prix.
After setting a new record for the total number of Formula 1 wins in Portimao, Hamilton told Sky that he and Mercedes were “still growing together”.
“I definitely don’t think it’s over. I really want to continue. I think once we get the job [championship] done and the stress of the bubble and everything passes us, we can get it to a comfortable position and get it done so I can continue.”
