Five times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is considering switching to racing in the racing’s newest motorsport, the all-electric Formula E.
With a contract with Mercedes-Benz expiring at the end of next year, Hamilton – who has been hailed as the finest of his generation – has said that his racing future may lie in the cutting edge electric race, which is now in its fifth annual circuit and takes place on real roads in cities around the world.
Quizzed about his plans come the end of the his contract while attending an event at Silverstone recently, the 34 year old racing car driver said that he is considering the ABB Formula E among other options, and that it will be the future of racing.
“That is something I have kind of been debating,” the reigning world champion told The Sun.
“Up until now it has always been about Formula One.
“Being that I have been racing since I was eight years old, I am going to have massive withdrawal symptoms, like every driver has when they stop racing, when Formula One stops for me.
Referencing former Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) touring driver Gary Paffett who also recently made the switch to the Forumla E, Hamilton said that it was a move he is also now considering.
“I actually grew up in the same era as Gary Paffett.
“He is a little bit older than me and he is now racing in Formula E and that is now going to be the future.
“So, who knows, in the future that’s maybe an area where I can use my skills but as you get older, it is more challenging to find the motivation to stay focused and you have to find something you love.”
If Hamilton makes the switch to the ABB Formula E, he will also join former McLaren F1 racing driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who began racing this season with Paffett on the HWA Racelab team.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.