Lewis Hamilton has “another four years” left in Formula 1, with the British driver tipped to walk away from the sport within half a decade, according to his former race engineer Jock Clear. That timeline could see Hamilton retire at the end of the 2030 season, which would mark his 24th year in F1.
At 41, Hamilton is now the second-oldest driver on the grid, behind Fernando Alonso, who is 45. Speculation around the seven-time champion's future was widespread last season as he struggled to find form after his highly publicised move to Ferrari.
Resurgence at Ferrari
Hamilton has enjoyed a resurgence at the Scuderia in 2026 and remains mathematically in contention for a record-breaking eighth title this season. His win at the Barcelona Grand Prix in June was the first for a driver in his 40s since Nigel Mansell in 1994.
Speaking to the Express through betselect.co.uk, Clear, who served as Hamilton's engineer at Mercedes between 2010 and 2014, said the 41-year-old still has time to build at Ferrari but expected him to call it a day within the next half a decade.
He said: “At 41, I think he's got another four years. He still has the motivation, and he's physically absolutely capable. He can keep building with Ferrari for the next couple of years.”
Contract and future plans
Clear added: “Then watch this space. I'm glad he's there for another couple of years because he's as fit as ever. Maybe we can't go on forever — we're not eternally youthful — but he's got the motivation and the physical capability to keep going.”
Hamilton's contract at Ferrari runs until at least the end of the 2027 season, and the 41-year-old has made clear he has no immediate plans to quit the sport. Earlier this season, Hamilton told fans he would “be here for quite some time” as he “still loved” what he does.
Hamilton even suggested he was still “planning for the next five years”, meaning he could remain on the grid well into the early 2030s. Clear admitted that talk of retirement was always “premature” while Hamilton was still competing at the sharp end of the grid.
He told the Express: “Certainly, it was premature, because I would have hated for him to have missed out on what he's enjoyed this year. He's in the mix now, whereas last year he wasn't really in the mix in qualifying. And I'm excited about next year because the regulations are a bit up in the air and everything is going to be changing again.”
