Lewis Hamilton explains what would make him quit Mercedes and suggests replacement type

Lewis Hamilton has said he will only leave Mercedes if he has nothing left to give as he discusses the prospect of ending his F1 career with the Silver Arrows. The seven-time world champion faces another uphill battle to dethrone Red Bull this season after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez kicked off the new season in style with a victory each in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.

Hamilton are already 22 points behind leaders Verstappen and with Red Bull seemingly stronger than ever, the Briton has been encouraged to jump ship and ditch Mercedes to maximize his chances of winning more titles.

>

Luckily for Toto Wolff, Hamilton has shown his commitment to the cause by playing down suggestions that he could potentially see him line up for another team in the future, despite his contract expiring.

>

"I continue to feel at home in this family," he said.

"I see myself with Mercedes until my last days, to be honest. I have incredible allies within the team, great relationships here."

Hamilton went on to highlight his dedication to moving Mercedes forward before saying he would like to see a youngster replace him when he feels the time is right.

He added: "As long as I can keep pushing the team forward, really contributing...if there's a point where I feel unable to do that, it's time for a youngster to come in ."

Before last season, Hamilton had won six successive titles with Mercedes, which enjoyed a golden age before Red Bull's recent resurgence.

So far the signs suggest Hamilton and George Russell could have their work cut out for them trying to edge Verstappen or Perez to glory after both failed to record a podium finish in the first two races of the season .

Meanwhile, Hamilton is cautiously optimistic that Mercedes can make the appropriate changes to their car to kick off their season, something they failed to do last season.

The Silver Arrows have already admitted that they screwed up their concept car, which they are now desperate to rectify.

In Hamilton's opinion, the current package is still "a bit better" than last year's W13 which left its star driver with headaches and backaches from rattling.< /p>

“I am aware that it can take a long time to catch up with the car,” added Hamilton. "You look at the Red Bulls, it's just going to keep evolving."

Hamilton is out of contract at the end of the year, but the 38-year-old is expected to extend his stay at Mercedes, provided he wants to continue racing.

During a cryptic Instagram post that included a video of him running, Hamilton recently admitted, "Some days I feel like quitting. When I start to feel that, I dig deep and I remember I'm on a mission.

"Whether you realize it or not, you are also on a mission. We are all after something."

Hamilton will look to kick off their season this weekend when they race in Australia at the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit.