Lewis Hamilton vows to delay retirement until F1 returns to Africa
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has insisted he will not retire from Formula 1 until the sport adds an African Grand Prix to the calendar.
The Ferrari driver has been lobbying executives for the past seven years to secure a return to the continent, asking bosses why the championship continues to bypass the region.
“I don’t want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there,” said Hamilton.
“I’m chasing them – when is it going to be?”
Hopes for a continental return
Despite the Briton’s persistence, there is no imminent prospect of a race appearing on the schedule before the end of the current decade.
Talks regarding a return to South Africa’s Kyalami circuit or a potential venue in Rwanda have recently stalled.
F1 has not visited the region since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, leaving Africa as the only inhabited continent without a World Championship round.
“They’re setting certain dates,” Hamilton explained.
“I’m like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I’m going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I’m half-African.”
Concerns over exploitation
The 105-time race winner also voiced strong concerns regarding the historical and continued exploitation of African nations by Western powers.
Hamilton urged leaders across the continent to unite and reclaim agency over their resources.
“It is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don’t like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no-one speaks about it,” he said.
“Take it back from the French. Take it back from the Spanish. Take it back from the Portuguese and the British.”
“It’s so important for the future of that continent. They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world.”
‘Rediscovering’ form at Ferrari
Speaking ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton revealed he has reset mentally following a challenging debut campaign with the Scuderia in 2025.
The veteran driver admitted to feeling “useless” during a dip in form last year but has spent the winter cultivating a fresh mindset.
“The break was really positive,” he added.
“It was my surroundings. It was the people that I was with. It’s not my first rodeo. So it’s understanding how to flip things.”
“But I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude. And that’s what I focus on the winter doing.”
