Lewis Hamilton uses Fernando Alonso to reveal retirement age

Lewis Hamilton has hinted at his retirement plans, suggesting that Fernando Alonso could have a bearing on how long he will continue in the sport.

Hamilton's old rival Alonso is still competing at the highest level at the age of 44, experiencing a brilliant turnaround in fortunes in 2025 that has seen him score 30 points in the last eight race weekends.

With his Aston Martin team having ambitions of becoming a championship-challenging outfit, there is every hope that Alonso can still secure a 33rd career race victory before he retires, having picked up his 32nd way back in 2013 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Alonso's longevity is incredible, having started his career in the sport back in 2001, and having won his two world championships in 2005 and 2006. He also holds the all-time record for the most amount of race starts (418).

Hamilton sits second on that list, and is statistically the most successful driver in the history of F1, sitting atop the all-time lists for race wins, podiums and pole positions, and tying with Michael Schumacher for the most amount of world championships (seven).

However, since joining Ferrari, Hamilton has not even claimed a single grand prix podium in 2025 and has been vastly outperformed by team-mate Charles Leclerc, leading some to suggest he may be close to retiring from the sport.

Hamilton is 40 years old - four years younger than Alonso - and he has suggested that he is using his former McLaren team-mate as a barometer for when he should retire.

Asked whether he would return to the paddock once retiring from F1, Hamilton told L'Equipe: "No, I don't think so. I don't know if I really want to come back. I can't imagine coming to a circuit and staying in the garage.

"I kind of watch other people do it, maybe in a month it will change and I can just come and enjoy it, maybe I'll be disconnected and it will be fine.

"I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, and I really appreciate that Fernando is continuing, because that means he's older than me. Yes, I'll just keep going, until he's 50."

Hamilton's 2025 in numbers

Hamilton currently sits sixth in the drivers' championship, 203 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

He is also a whopping 44 points behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has managed to outqualify his seven-time champion team-mate on 13 occasions out of 17 so far.

Hamilton is yet to claim a podium or challenge for a grand prix victory across 17 race weekends, and he has also adopted a rather negative attitude during post-race interviews.

After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton described himself as 'useless', and even called on his team to sack him if his form doesn't pick up.

The 40-year-old is currently contracted until the end of the 2026 season, and there is no suggestion that he won't see out the rest of that lucrative Ferrari deal.

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