LEWIS HAMILTON has the world at his feet having matched Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula 1 titles.
The British legend is swarmed with options as his future remains bright and here looks at what could be next for the champ.
New Contract
The top priority for Hamilton, after allowing his achievement to sink in, is to get his new Mercedes deal signed.
It is likely to be a three-year deal with earnings of around £40million a season, a similar contract to his current one that expires on December 31st.
He will use the time over the next three races in the Middle East to discuss terms with Merc boss Toto Wolff.
Expect less media and sponsorship days to be part of the package – as a seven time world champion, he is in a powerful position to dictate his terms.
Knighthood
Hamilton was quizzed about becoming Sir Lewis. There is no doubt he would welcome a knighthood, but it is not the priority.
He said: “When I think about that honour, I think about people like my grandad who fought in the war, or Captain Tom for what he did.
“Or the people in the hospitals who are saving us during this hardest of times. I think about those unsung heroes.
“I am not a hero. I am not saving anybody. It is an incredible honour that a small group of people have bestowed on them.
“But what I can say is that I am a very proud Brit and it is a special moment to be representing a nation with the flag above your head in P1.”
SPOTY
He has won it before and missed out before.
It is fair to assume that Hamilton’s desire to win over the British public remains as strong as it ever was.
However, there is also an understanding that perhaps he will never enjoy universal support from us Brits.
Perhaps we should not be surprised that an F1 star misses out on the award.
Think of Ryan Giggs beating Jenson Button to the SPOTY Award in 2009.
Like the Knighthood, Hamilton would no doubt love it, but he is also realistic to know that it is not the be all and end all.
Retirement
Despite claiming to be as fresh as ever, Hamilton is planning for his retirement.
He has made a few investments in property and, given the fortune he has amassed – estimated to be around £225million – he won’t be going hungry.
Whichever way his career takes when he eventually does decide to retire, it is likely to be away from the F1 race track.
He has spent 14 years in F1 so far and has previously stated that he has no interest in being a TV pundit like many others.
Other interests
Fashion remains a big one for Hamilton but we can also expect a big contribution to his aspirations with music.
He has recently posted a lot about the work he is doing in the studio. He has only just admitted he contributed to singing vocals in Christina Aguilera’s 2018 track ‘Pipe’, appearing as the artist XNDA.
Other projects include being a boss of his own race team.
He has entered a team in the Extreme E racing series that will race in remote parts of the world to highlight problems with climate change.
