Lewis Hamilton has said he will make a decision about his future and whether or not he stays with
McLaren next month during F1's annual mid-season break.
Hamilton's current deal with
McLaren expires at the end of this year and while he has been linked to a number of other teams, including Ferrari, Mercedes and even Lotus, any chance of joining
Red Bull disappeared last week, when
Mark Webber signed to stay on as team-mate to Sebastian Vettel.
Speaking to
R-Sport in Moscow, where the Brit was demoing his
McLaren as part of the fifth annual Moscow City Racing event, he added that McLaren's recent woes wouldn't have much influence on what he decides.
“To be honest, you have to base your decisions on much, much longer than such a short period of time,” he said. “Only half a year cannot decide six years of partnership, or actually 13 years of partnership. I've been with them since I was 13, so it's 14 years, so it's much more than these small details, it's a much, much bigger picture.
“We haven't sat down and discussed anything yet but I'm sure over the summer break, when we have the summer break it would be nice to get something in place. That would be a time when we can be more relaxed and make the most sensible decision for the future.
“There are lots of things to take into account. These people have supported me; these are the people that got me into F1.
“But, you know, I want to win. I'm not that young any more so I want to make sure that whatever I do I make the right decision so I can maximize my career, you know. I just need to make sure that I'm winning. That's what I exist for, that's what I train and work for every day,” he added.
Hamilton is hopeful, however, that
McLaren can turn things around and is pinning his hopes on a 'big upgrade' they will have for Hockenheim this weekend.
“I've been ready all year to win. We should have won a lot more races than we have, but there's many more races to go. We still have a lot more chances to get some wins and I think it's possible,” he continued.
“Up until now we've not developed as fast as other people. Other people have brought some more upgrades in the past than we have, but we have a big upgrade coming for the next race, so let's hope that it does the job and gets us in a fighting position.”