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 will sign a new contract with Mercedes. 

Hamilton claimed his 72nd F1 victory f꧙or 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 Mich👍ael ꧙Schumacher’s all-time record of world championships - at the next race in Turkey, providing teammate Valtteri 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 at the end of the year but it is widely expected that he will agree a new deal to remain with Mercedes into 2021 and beyond, desp♎ite a delay in finalising what was considered to be a contract formality𒉰. 

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 appears to have been complicated by delays over Wolff’s own future, with the Austrian currently finding himself in a “moment of reflection” as he weighs up his role ꦇwith 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 p✃ast eight seasons has taken its toll on him. His ambition is to find a successor to takeover as team principal when the time is right.

Speaking after Sunday’♊s race at Imola, Wolff admitted 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 discussing Wolff's future and the impact it would have on Mercedes inꦉ the FIA’s post-race press conference that Hamilton dropped an unprompted bombshell.

“I don't even know if I'm going to be here next year, so it's no🐽t really a concern for me at the moment,” he said. 

"We have a lot of deep conve༒rsations, Toto and I, so I'm very aware of where he is mentally, and we share a lot of and carry a lot of the weight together I think.

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

When pressed later oওn 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 fꦐor 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♔ guarantee of that for sure.

“There’s a lot that excites me in the afterlife. So, time ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚwill tell.”

But would Hamilton really call it quits when he is 🔜on to⭕p and seemingly destined to create yet more F1 history? 

Hamilton’s victory at Imola was his ninth from the opening 13 races of the s🍒eason and marked Mercedes’ 100th of the V6 hybrid era it has dom﷽inated. 

🐻The Briton, now 35, is just three pole 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 put𒐪 Hamilton tantalisingly close to eclipsing Schumacher’s unr💎ivalled 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 rev🌜enue hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is fair to assume t♔hat 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 n𒀰otable 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 extraordinary times we now found oursel🧸ves living in and Hamilton 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 rig♏hts and fight against inequality, someth🦩ing he hinted at with his “afterlife” comment.

Should Hamilton decide to sensat🎶ionally walk away from F1, Mercedes would be left needing to find itself with a replaceme🔯nt, as it did when Nico Rosberg quit just days after winning his maiden title in 2016. 

However, Wolff, who knows Hamilton better than most, does not believe his sta🎉r driver has reached a point in his life yet where he is ready to stop rac𝓡ing in F1.

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

“Buꦬt I think it's the moment, it's the emotions. We are all happy, but very tired al🦩so. 

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

"We are here in our little happy place, we try to bring some entertainment into household🎀s. But then you're back in th﷽e more difficult reality the next day.

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

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

“It iౠs his mentality, 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 eve🗹ryone is doing away from the track, you know ‘how’s things at home with t🥂he family? Is there anything we can do so you can be better at the office?’.

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

“I don’t know who will replace him b♊ut 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, who’s not going to be geared up,” Hamilton added.&꧙nbsp;

“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 asꦅ bright as possible. He’s just empowered every single person in the team to be the♐ best they can be.

“It’s not one person. Thiꦦs team is not about one person, it’s a collective of a lot of people. Toto doesn’t builܫd the car, it’s a real team effort.

“But I’m supportive of h♓im w💮hatever he wants to do moving forward.”

While both Hamilton’s and Wolff’s long-term futures are shrouded in an 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 Mercede✤s together for at least one more season.

“We go t𒀰ogether in a way, we have a symbiosis,” Wolff said. “It’s important where our heart is and mindset is for next year.

“But I’ve said that this is my team. I am a very proud co-owner with Meဣrcedes and I’m not going to go an🌟ywhere.

“My rol🎀e may change in the future, and it’s something that he has ask🎐ed.

“I think nothing is ever secure. Like Niki Lauda in the 70s you could wake up one morning on a Friday or Satಞurday 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 journey.

“We are not finished. Lewis and I and all the team, we’re not fin𝓰ished.”