Lewis Hamilton predicts another six or seven years in F1

Lewis Hamilton has said that he can see himself competing in Formula One for "three or four" more years after his current contract with Mercedes expires.

Hamilton signed a three-year contract extension with the Anglo-German team last season, tying him to the team until at least 2018.

The former McLaren driver doesn't see his F1 career ending when his current contract does, however.

"I try and think to myself ‘what’s your five year plan’ and try and set out to do it. You don’t always hit all the goals, but I try to," he said.

"I think right now, I’ve obviously just signed for another three years with Mercedes including this year. After that, I see myself staying for another three years probably, three or four years, then I’m going to stop."

"I don’t have a particular desire to go on forever. At 37, I’ll still be relatively young I would say, and so I want to be challenged by something else."

"But I think also every year your opinions and your views on things evolve. So who knows what I’m going to be thinking in seven years’ time."

However, the three-time world champion stopped short of predicting he would go on to break many of Michael Schumacher's long-standing records.

"I want to be as great as I can be. I don’t believe being as great as I can be is defined by someone else’s record."

"I honestly don’t see that. It’s about doing what you love and maximizing it in the time that you wish to participate in it."

"Even if I’m only here for another two more years, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. Even if I was to stop right now, I could look back and say ‘jeez, I’ve learned a lot’. I’ve had an amazing journey."

"There’s not one moment I regret, there’s not one moment I wish I could change, because that’s what got me to where I am today, regardless if you’ve hit someone’s records."