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Lewis Hamilton: “I’ll stick with Mercedes until the “final days”
Seven-time world champion race car driver, Sir Lewis Hamilton, put to rest any speculation that he intended to leave Mercedes on Thursday, stating he hoped to stay with the team “until my final days.”
After the season-opening grand prix in Bahrain, where the British driver finished a disappointing sixth in his underpowered W14 vehicle, there were rumors that he was planning to look for work elsewhere.
During a more challenging race in Saudi Arabia two weeks prior, he claimed such was not the case.
The 38-year-old made it quite obvious that he planned to end his career with the formerly all-conquering Silver Arrows when he stated his intention ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
“I feel amazing about it (the future), I continue to feel very, very much at home, it’s a family,” he said in Melbourne of remaining with a team that has been his home for a decade.
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“I see myself being with Mercedes till my last days.
“If you look at the legends, Sir Stirling Moss was with Mercedes till the end of his days, and that’s been the dream for me, to one day have that. I mean, I have that, so just continue on with that, continue to build with the brand.”
In the years since winning his first race for Mercedes in Melbourne in 2013, Hamilton has helped the team reach an incredible 82 victories and 77 pole positions.
He said he had “amazing allies” within the team and “great relationships here”.
“I think for me personally, just so long as I continue to help the team, as long as I can continue to help drive the team forward, to contribute, then that’s why I want to stay.
“If there’s ever a point where I feel like I’m not able to do that then it’s time for a youngster to come in.
“But I’m still feeling pretty young and in decent shape.”