Hamilton: If I leave Mercedes, I’ll leave F1

Although Lewis Hamilton acknowledges that it would be “cool” to race for Williams or “interesting” at Ferrari, he sees no reason to leave Mercedes.

The British racer is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of next season, the team he joined in 2014 and with whom he has won two of his three World titles.

And while some rumours have linked him to an early retirement, some even claiming he could walk away at the end of this season, others suggest he could have a last horrah at Ferrari, swapping seats with Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton, though, looks set to finish his F1 career at Mercedes.

“If I was to move, I would have to try and take what we have here and try to implement it somewhere else, but do I really want to do that? Is there a real need?” he recently said.

“Of course I look at other teams that I have admired, I look at Williams and look at how cool it would be to one day drive for Williams and help them get back to the top, but I don’t have a magic board.

“I don’t know how long that will take or even if that’s even possible, just that I admire Frank and the Williams team for its history.

“McLaren, I have been there and done that and had a great, great experience with them.

“There’s no other team except for Ferrari that could ever be interesting, but right now I love being here, I love the people I work for, the people I work with and what the company represents.”

He added: “I am so happy where I am.

“I tell you when I joined this team I couldn’t have imagined it being [so good]; regardless of our results, it’s the environment that I live in.

“I couldn’t have dreamed it being better and I am pretty sure there is no other team that has this environment, I am pretty certain of it.

“On top of that, when you’re a Mercedes driver, there’s no other team in the whole sport I think that takes care of its drivers like Mercedes does.

“So to turn your back and leave that behind, that is a really difficult call to make.

“If I was to jump ship from here, that would be when I stop. Mercedes take care of their drivers.

“Whether it’s including them in events, whether it’s including them in commercials, you continue to be an ambassador for the brand.

“Every single driver has been so that’s a lot to throw away.”