Hamilton: “Difficult” to imagine leaving Mercedes F1 team

Why would Hamilton leave a team that gives him a car so superior it cannot be beaten?

Lewis Hamilton says it is "very difficult" to see himself leaving Mercedes despite he F1 boss Toto Wolff claiming he mentioned a desire to drive for Ferrari someday.

When Hamilton was negotiating with Mercedes to stay with the team beyond 2018, Wolff said they talked about Ferrari's appeal but Hamilton ultimately agreed a new deal that runs to the end of 2020.

He claimed he does not remember specifically what Wolff was referring to, but said with a smile that "when you're in negotiations you always have to drop in the Ferrari name".

"Toto's a very intelligent man so we have great negotiations and great conversations," said Hamilton.

"I've been with Mercedes since I was 13, so it's very difficult to see myself anywhere else.

"I have never made it a secret that I've been a Ferrari fan, particularly Ferrari cars.

"Do I plan on going elsewhere? I haven't made any plans for my future.

"At the moment I'm just enjoying driving with this team.

"It's incredible what we're achieving together, and I plan on working with this team to help it become the most successful team of all time.

"That's my current goal and my sole focus."