Hamilton says he has no plans to retire from F1

Hamilton had already hinted last year that he was contracted to Ferrari for 2027, saying he did not need to enter negotiations over his future in 2026.

But this is the first time he has explicitly said that he has a contract with Ferrari until the end of next season.

His comments about the length of time he sees himself in F1 would keep him into the sport until past his 45th birthday.

Drivers very rarely stay racing in F1 for that long - although Hamilton's long-time rival Fernando Alonso turns 45 in July. The Spaniard's contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of this season and he is currently weighing up whether to sign a new one.

Hamilton had a torrid time in the second half of last season, several times expressing doubts about whether he still had the speed he used to have.

This year he has started in a more competitive position relative to team-mate Charles Leclerc, who is third in the championship, eight points ahead of Hamilton in fifth after the first four races of the season.

Leclerc is 4-2 ahead across all six qualifying sessions this season, including sprint events in China and Miami. The Monegasque has an average pace advantage of just 0.081 seconds.