Lewis Hamilton has teased that he is “probably” going to end up having a longer F1 career than former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso. The most experienced driver in history, having made his debut back in 2001, Alonso celebrated his 400th grand prix appearance at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton ‘probably’ staying in F1 even longer than Fernando AlonsoDespite turning 43 in July, the two-time World Champion announced earlier this year that he will remain in F1 until at least the age of 45 after signing a contract extension with his Aston Martin team.

Hamilton partnered Alonso during his debut season at McLaren as a 22-year-old rookie in 2007, finishing level on points with the reigning champion at the end of the campaign as both men missed out on the title by a single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Hamilton has since gone on to become the most decorated driver in F1 history, equalling Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record of seven World Championships in 2020 before becoming the first man to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions the following year. Go deeper: Lewis Hamilton vs Fernando Alonso👉 Lewis Hamilton: The new superstar that Formula 1 was looking for👉 Lewis Hamilton v Fernando Alonso: How F1 legends compare against team-matesAfter two consecutive winless seasons in 2022/23, Hamilton returned to the top step of the podium by claiming an emotional victory at his home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, in July.

He followed that up weeks later by adding a 105th career victory after Mercedes team-mate George Russell was disqualified. Hamilton, who will turn 40 in January, announced in February that he will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract from the F1 2025 season. And the British driver has offered a hint over how long he intends to stay with the Scuderia, teasing that he is likely to end up having an even longer career than Alonso.

Asked if he could beat Alonso’s record of 400 F1 appearances, Hamilton replied: “Depends how far he’ll go. I’m probably going to be here longer than him. ”Alonso’s manager, Flavio Briatore, revealed earlier this year that F1 2026 is likely to be the Spaniard’s final season as it stands with Alonso himself to decide if he wants to “continue for one more year.

”In a recent appearance on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, however, Alonso raised the possibility of extending his career even longer in light of Aston Martin’s signing of design genius Adrian Newey from Red Bull. Newey stands as the most decorated individual in F1 history, having masterminded more than 200 race victories as well as a combined 25 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. With Newey to join Aston Martin as managing technical partner in F1 2025, the tech guru’s impending arrival has raised hopes that Alonso could finally claim a landmark third title when the sport’s new technical regulations are introduced in 2026.

Asked if the signing of Newey has made him consider prolonging his F1 stay, he said: “I don’t want to stress too much about that, [but] I will lie if I tell you that I didn’t think about it. “Obviously, I will race in ’25 and ’26. And then in ’26 I think I will see how I feel, how motivated I am and I will discuss it for sure with Lawrence and with Adrian eventually what will be the best for the team.

“I have a long-term commitment with Aston. I will be working for Aston for many years, behind the wheel or in a different position. “Because we enter in this personal adventure of working with a talent like Adrian, I want to experience that behind the wheel, yes, but I’m not too scared of working alongside [him] somehow and seeing Aston winning, even if I’m not behind the wheel.

“I will feel when I’m not ready to give something extra behind the wheel to the team and maybe someone else can do a better job. “And I will be very honest on that and I will not be disconnected to the team, so I will feel if we win eventually, when I’m not driving, I will enjoy it a little bit as well. ”Read next: Fernando Alonso receiving specialist treatment as Aston Martin confirm infection