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Hamilton working on future after F1

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Lewis Hamilton says he is trying to build the foundations to enjoy a successful future once he retires from F1.

The double world champion is closing in on a third drivers' title having gone 53 points clear with victory at the Italian Grand Prix. With Hamilton often appearing at events away from F1 and receiving interest in his personal lifestyle, he told the official Formula One website he is keen to give himself a platform to build from when he stops racing.

"I am at a point in my life where I know that I have a certain amount of years left in Formula One and I am conscious of what will be beyond that," Hamilton said. "I look at people like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and David Beckham - sports stars who have continued to rise beyond their active careers and created businesses and futures for themselves beyond sport. Now I am in a phase where I am trying to build foundations to be able to do the same.

"In terms of winning this championship, I don’t know what effect it would have on my future life. What I do know is that it’s been my desire since I was a kid to emulate Ayrton Senna - to get these three world championships. That was always my target. If I get these three titles, that would be fantastic. If I think it over, it actually has to be at least three! That is what I am working on."

And Hamilton says being able to express his own personal style makes him more comfortable at race weekends.

"I think I have a master plan! I choose all the clothes that I am wearing. I choose all my styles. But I have people who help me because I hate shopping. I have people who make me aware of what’s in.

"Finding your own style and being comfortable with it has really been a journey. And gradually I found my own way. And right now I am happier than ever in terms of comfort. I am more comfortable in the paddock than ever before."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.