LEWIS HAMILTON TARGETS RWANDA GRAND PRIX

Lewis Hamilton says he intends to stay in Formula One long enough to race in Rwanda. Formula One announced last week that the grand prix would join its calendar in the early 2030s, but gave no fixed date. “I’m now forced to stay a bit longer because we have a race in Africa and that has been my dream to race in Africa,” Hamilton said. The seven-time world champion is in his second season with Ferrari.

Hamilton said he would need to stay fit and keep producing results to continue racing until the event. Kimi Antonelli, who replaced him at Mercedes, has his first chance to secure the world championship this weekend. The championship standings put Antonelli 102 points ahead of his nearest challenger, George Russell, with six scheduled rounds remaining. Hamilton watched Antonelli develop during his time at Mercedes and said he had known the Italian would replace him.

Antonelli could become Formula One’s youngest champion on Sunday if he wins, Hamilton finishes outside the top five and Russell finishes outside the top nine. Asked what advice he would give Antonelli, Hamilton replied: “Slow down!” Hamilton said Antonelli had shown his ability this year and praised how he had handled the pressure. He said creating an opportunity for Antonelli at Mercedes had been the right decision.