MONTREAL (AP) — Lewis Hamilton has pushed back against what he calls people “trying to retire me” and insists he’ll be staying in Formula 1 for “quite some time” to come.

The 41-year-old seven-time F1 champion appeared to confirm that his Ferrari contract covers 2027 as he was asked about next year after an up-and-down start to his second season with the Italian team.

“I’m still in contract, so everything’s 100% clear to me. I’m still focused, I’m still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart, and I’m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it,” he said Thursday ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

“There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me, and that’s not even on my thoughts. I’m already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years. But yeah, I still plan to be here for some time.”

Hamilton earned his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari in China in March after a wait of over a year, but he’s behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the standings and has been stuck on a record 105 wins since his last victory with Mercedes in 2024.

Hamilton’s tears for Arsenal

Hamilton also acknowledged he was tearful this week after his boyhood soccer team Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the English Premier League title.

“I think, like for everyone, very emotional. I shed a tear to be honest,” he said. The last time Arsenal won the title, Hamilton was a 19-year-old aspiring racer competing in Formula 3.

“We’ve had so many close moments and to finally get it was, ‘wow.’ A lot of emotion came up for me, and as I’m sure for so many people. I’m just so happy and proud of the team,” Hamilton added.

“The direction they’ve gone in the past couple of years has been just fantastic, so very inspired by what they’ve done. Really, really proud of the team. And I think they can go from strength to strength from here and only get stronger.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing