Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1's forced hiatus on the back of the coronavirus pandemic has provided him with "renewed energy" that could extend his time in the sport.
Hamilton is racing this year to equal the historic record of seven world titles held by Michael Schumacher.
But the Briton has yet to decide his plans for 2021, although all signs point to an extension of his contract with Mercedes.
Asked on Thursday at Silverstone if he could guarantee his presence on the grid for next year's British Grand Prix, Hamilton said that racing in 2021 - and perhaps well beyond - remains his plan.
"I don’t think you can guarantee anything but I plan to be here for sure, that’s definitely the goal,” Hamilton explained.
"In terms of how long I go, that’s a bit of an unknown. The COVID lockdown, whilst it was a negative in many, many ways, in some ways it gave a lot of life, a lot of energy to focus on some other things.
"That bit of time off was really a bit of breathing space, so it has kind of given me a bit of renewed energy to perhaps go longer.
"Ultimately, I want to be able to perform at the level I am performing at now forever, but obviously there is a point at which physicality and the mental side can tail off.
"I don’t know when that will be but I don’t see that happening in the short-term, in the next two or three years. So, I’m definitely going to be here for the foreseeable future."
Hamilton said he felt that he still needed to "earn" his place among motorsport's elite, a sentiment that has always spurred him on.
"I want to earn my position here and I feel like every year I come back it’s not a given," he said.
"Just because I’ve got world championships under my belt, I think you still have to earn the right to be here in terms of how you perform and continuing to deliver.
"So my goal is to continue to deliver for as long as I can. I do see myself going for at least another three years."
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