"I have no intention of retiring any time soon” – Lewis Hamilton rubbishes retirement rumors ahead of Miami GP

Lewis Hamilton revealed his plans to stay with Mercedes for a long time as he has 'no intention' to retire from the sport anytime soon, amidst the rumors.

After the 2022 season and into the current season, Mercedes has been facing a dry spell in Formula 1 with regulation changes. Although they have scored satisfactory points, they're still quite far from a championship battle. Lewis Hamilton hasn't won a single race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and surely, this has raised some speculations and given birth to rumours.

However, Lewis Hamilton recently told ESPN that he does not seek retirement from the sport anytime soon, and also revealed that he will probably stay with Mercedes for the rest of his years in the sport.

"I have no intention of retiring any time soon. I haven't reached the end of my career. I'm not at the end of my career, I'm at my peak. I'm not planning a change. Mercedes is my home. I'm happy here. I haven't signed a [new] contract yet, but we're working on one."

Although it seems apparent that Lewis Hamilton will sign again with Mercedes, the absence of any reports or talks about his extension with the team seems to have opened up a way for the rumors about him leaving the team or perhaps retiring.

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Lewis Hamilton reveals he did think about ending his career with Ferrari

Adding to the rumors, they weren't limited to the seven-time world champion. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was a part of the same. After the hard time he faced with the Prancing Horse in the past seasons, it was thought that he and Lewis Hamilton might swap teams. The rumor was cleared up by Leclerc earlier as he expressed his will to stay with Ferrari.

However, Hamilton did mention that he thought about ending his career not with Mercedes, but with Ferrari.

"I would be lying if I said I never thought about ending my career somewhere else. I followed the Ferrari drivers on the track and wondered what it would be like to drive in red myself."

This potentially could have meant the Briton switching his teams before retiring from the sport. Ferrari was very strong in the 2022 season and beat the Brackley-based outfit for second position in the standings, right behind Red Bull.

But it has been tough for them to battle again with the same pace this season. Improvements in Baku were promising, but there is still a lot to of development remaining in the car if they wish to finish second, or perhaps first.