Hamilton : 'I can decide to stop at the end of this year'

Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton isn't ruling out a retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the current season.

In an interview with Auto, the FIA's in-house magazine, Hamilton said he would decide alone the time and place of his retirement.

"My destiny is in my own hands," said the 32-year-old Briton.

"I can decide to stop at the end of this year. Does that mean my legacy is less great than it would be if I stop in five years' time? Who's to say?".

"I don't like to plan for it because I don't know what's around the corner, I don't know what I'm going to do."

However, quitting F1 prematurely seems unlikely for Hamilton, particularly as he is enjoying his racing in 2017.

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An exit at the end of 2017 appears unlikely however, given Hamilton's proclaimed love of the sport. And the Mercedes driver says that's not just because the cars are faster this year.

"Yeah, right now it's solely (more enjoyable because of) competition," said Hamilton.

"It's also easier battling another team. When (the competition) is all within a team it's just like a big vortex, and depending on the tension it gets stronger and stronger, and is actually not really what a team is built to be," he explained.

"Now having another team (to fight) we are pulling together with that same drive -- it's just so much more powerful, it's really awesome."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.