Hamilton opens up on retirement from F1

Lewis Hamilton has suggested he will step away from Formula 1 when his sporting commitments start to encroach on his personal life too much.

Hamilton is nearing the conclusion of his 13th season in F1, six of which have ended in title glory.

Only Kimi Raikkonen will be older than Hamilton on the grid in 2020 – provided Williams do not opt to replace Robert Kubica with another veteran – with newcomers such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc increasingly looking like Hamilton's fiercest rivals in years to come.

Hamilton has said he remains as determined as ever to take on all-comers when F1 enters a new era of regulations in 2021.

In an appearance on the Graham Norton Show, Hamilton was asked by comedian Ricky Gervais if his advancing years had made racing more difficult, but the 34-year-old said mental strain is more likely to decide when he steps away from the sport.

He said: "My reaction times are pretty good at the moment still!

"At some stage they may obviously drop off but you can train, still, to sort that.

"I do think that there is a point at which you can't keep it up. The demand of the season is so high, the sacrifice that you have to continue to make to operate and perform at the top of your level every year.

"It takes so much time away from family, away from friends, and the sacrifices that you make. There is a point at which you just don't want to do it anymore."

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