Hamilton targeting up to 10 F1 titles

Matthew Scott
Friday 31 May 2019 11:52 - Updated: 11:53

Lewis Hamilton hinted that he has sights set on winning as many as 10 world titles before stepping away from Formula 1. With five titles to his name, Hamilton now only has Michael Schumacher ahead of him, with the German great having secured seven drivers' crowns.

Moving to Mercedes in 2013 has helped Hamilton become statistically one of F1's greatest ever drivers.

He has already surpassed Schumacher's record for pole positions, and took his 85th qualifying success in Monaco last weekend.

Victory in Monte Carlo moved Hamilton to 77 race wins, just 14 shy of Schumacher's outright record, while h tops the standings after six races of 2019, suggesting title number six is on the cards.

Speaking to David Letterman on the American chat-show host's Netflix show, Hamilton admitted that he is looking to Schumacher's record-breaking career when judging his own.

"Michael retired when he was 38, I'm 33 so I mean in my and I can definitely do five years," Hamilton said. "I am ridiculously determined to win."

The programme charted Hamilton's well-known rise through the karting ranks to Formula 1, despite a modest upbringing in England – in stark comparison to the riches often sloshing around motorsport, even in the lower categories.

Hamilton believes his humble grounding gives him an edge over some rivals.

"What really drives me that I feel the people I race against may lack is that fire, when we were young, and just how hard that I had to work," he added.

"I've got this opportunity that I could easily let go of right now, but I feel like I would be squandering it if I didn't continue to improve, grow, push.

"So I've got to keep going for as long as I can basically until I'm not enjoying it."