Lewis Hamilton has indicated that he does not know for certain whether he will continue to race in Formula 1 next year, saying there is “no guarantee” he wiꩲll sign a new contract with Mercedes. 

Hamilton claimed his 72nd F1 vict𒆙ory for Mercedes in Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to score his 93rd career win as he helped the German manufacturer clinch a record seventh constructors’ world championship on the bounce. 

The result means that Hamilton will wrap up his seventh drivers’ title - and draw level with Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of world championships - at the n🤪ext race in Turkey, providing teammate Valtterꦅi Bottas does not outscore him by eight points. The achievement will seal an unprecedented seventh world championship double in a row for Mercedes. 

Hamilton is out of contract a🧸t ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚthe end of the year but it is widely expected that he will agree a new deal to remain with Mercedes into 2021 and beyond, despite a delay in finalising what was considered to be a contract formality. 

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff initially stated that he hoped to make progress with negotiations over Hamilton’s future following a hectic run of races that kicked off the condensed 17-round 2020 season, but there has been no significant update in the three months that have passed since the campaign got underway.꧃ 

The situation a💃ppears to have been complicated by delays over Woꦯlff’s own future, with the Austrian currently finding himself in a “moment of reflection” as he weighs up his role with the team beyond the end of the current season. 

Wolff has been in talks with Daimler for some time about his future and has admitted that overseeing Mercedes’ success over the past eight seasons has taken its toll on him. His ambition is to find a successor to takeover as team principal wh♓en the time is right.

Speaking after Sunday’s race at Imola, Wolff ad💟mitted he feels his “shelf life” as a team boss is beginning to expire. Despite this, Wolff insists he remains committed to Mercedes and will🦹 remain at the team in some capacity in 2021. 

It was when dis💎cussing Wolff's future and the impact it would have on Mercedes in the FIA’s post-race press conference that Hamilton dropped anꦉ unprompted bombshell.

“I don't even know if I'm going to be her🍸e next year, so it's not really a concern for me at the moment,” he said. 

"We have a lot of deep conversations, Toto and I, so I'm very aware of where he is mentally, and we s🌌hare a lot of and carry a lot of the weight together I think.

"I've been here a long, long time. I can definitely understan▨d wanting to pull back a little bit and giving more time to family and those sort of things.”

When pressed later on if there is a real chance he could leave F1 at the end of the year, Hamilton replied: “Well we’꧃re in November and it’s crazy, Christmas isn’t that far away.

“Naturally, I feel great, I still feel very strong and feel like I can keep going for plenty of 🍌months.

“But you mentioned Toto and about shelf life, so there’s multiple things that do stay on the top of my mind. I would like to be here next year but there’s no guaranteꦆe of that for sure.

“There’s a lot that excites meꦿ in the afterlife. So, time will tell.”

But would Hamilton really call it quits when he is on top and seemingly desꦅtined to create yet more F1 h🍎istory? 

Hamilton’s victory at Imola wa𓂃s his ninth 𝓡from the opening 13 races of the season and marked Mercedes’ 100th of the V6 hybrid era it has dominated. 

The Briton, now 35, is just three p🍨ol🐈e positions and seven wins away from reaching a century in both categories as he continues to raise the bar in F1. 

A seemingly inevitable seventh world title would put Hamilton tantalisingly close to eclipsing 🦂Schumacher’s unrivalled record of world championships, a feat previously considered unbeatable when the German won his last title in 2006.

With teams carrying over their current cars into next season due to the postponement of a radical regulation overhaul for 2022 in a bid to save costs after suffering a severe revenue hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is fair to assume that Mercedes would still hold a similar advantage over its rivals next year, meaning Hamilton would෴ have a brilliant opportunity to seal an eighth drivers’ crown. 

Hamilton’s latest comments are a departure from those he made about ‘not being done yet’ after he broke Schumacher’s wins record last time out in Portugal. They are also a notable shift from ones he made earlier this year that he feels he could go on for “at least 🦹three more years”. 

His view appears to have altered in the uncertain and ex🅠traordinary times we now found ourselves living in and Hamilt🐬on has made it no secret that he does not wish to return to his previous fast-paced pre-pandemic life.  

It is well known that Hamilton is also keen to pursue his other passions away from the race circuit in music and fashion, as well as continuing his push for human rights and 🅺fight against inequality, something he hinted at with his “afterlife” comment.

Should Hamilton decide to sensationally walk away from F1, Mercedes would be left needing to find itself with a replacement, as it did when Nico Rosberg quit j🅠ust days a🦂fter winning his maiden title in 2016. 

However, Wolff, who knows Hamilton better than most, does not believe hi꧃s star driver has 🌌reached a point in his life yet where he is ready to stop racing in F1.

“I guess if he were to decide to step out of Formula 1, which I don't think it's going to happen, and Iꦜ hope it's not going to happen, then I think we're going to have a pretty frantic driver market out there,” Wolff said. 

“But𒆙 I think it's the moment, it's the emotions. We are all happy, but very tired also. 

“It's the same for me. I completely relate to his feeling, that you question yourself, that you think🎃 about all the other things that matter, and when you switch on the news in the morning, and switch them off iꦍn the evening, it's all about the struggles that we all face.

"We are he♚re in our little happy place, we try to bring some entertainment into households. But then you're back in the more difficult reality the n🧜ext day.

"All of that is something that affects us. And in that respect, it's normal for somebody who's empathetic to have these feeling𒉰s.”

Hamilton described Wolff as being “without doubt the best leader here” as he praised the imperative role his boss has played in leadin🐠g Mercedes to its record-breaking run of achievements after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 

“It is his ment𓃲ality, the balance of drive, compassion, understanding and ego all come together to create the best boss you could have,” he explained. 

“Every single person in the team, no one’s below him, and he really cares about how everyone is doing away from the track, you know ‘how’s things at home with the family? Is there anything we can do so you can be better atඣ the office?’.

“He’s a really great guy, I feel privileged to have him as our leader, and we wouldn’t have been able to do this without his guꦕidance.

“I don’t know who will replace him but he is a leader, he’s not going to put anyone that’s not going to be able to do the job, that’s not going to be up to it, w🍬ho’s no𓆏t going to be geared up,” Hamilton added. 

“He will find the right people. That’s why we have the success we have, he’s found the right people and put them in a position to be able to shine as bright as possible. H✤e’s just empowered every single person in the team to be the best they can be.

“It’s not one person. This team is not about one person, it’s a collective of a lot of p🧔eople. T🦩oto doesn’t build the car, it’s a real team effort.

“Bu𒀰t I’m supportive of him whatever he wants to do moving forward.”

While both Hamilto🐬n’s and Wolff’s long-term futures are shrouded in a🎃n element of uncertainty, Wolff, who is likely to move into a new role for 2021, suggested that he and Hamilton are likely to find a resolution to ensure they remain at Mercedes together for at least one more season.

“We go together i🎀n a way, we have 𒐪a symbiosis,” Wolff said. “It’s important where our heart is and mindset is for next year.

“But I’ve said that t🍰his is my team. I am a very proud co-owner with Mercedes and I’m not going to go anywhere.

“M൲y role may change in the future, and it’s something that he has asked.

“I think nothing iꦇs ever secure. Like Niki Lauda in the 70s you could wake up one morning on a Friday or Saturday morning on a track and say I’m just not having fun anymore.

“And I think that can happen to anybody. But we want to continue this journ🍸ey.

“We are not f꧅inish💦ed. Lewis and I and all the team, we’re not finished.”