Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton stated on Thursday he deliberate to be in Formulation One subsequent season, was having fun with this 12 months’s title battle and had already been laying the groundwork for 2022.

The 36-year-old, who’s out of contract with Mercedes on the finish of this 12 months, examined Pirelli’s 18-inch 2022 tyre compounds at Imola this month.

By no means an enormous fan of testing, the Briton instructed reporters forward of the Portuguese Grand Prix that for as soon as he had volunteered to participate.

“I plan to be right here subsequent 12 months and I need to assist Pirelli…transfer ahead and having a greater product,” stated Hamilton.

“The drivers, all of us, have wished for extra efficiency tyres and so it was essential for me to gauge the place the start line is and what variations (there are)…in order that from a driver’s perspective now we have extra mechanical grip in our tyres.

“I feel it was take a look at and clearly step one with the tyres.”

Pressed on his plans, Hamilton recognised he was “fairly spontaneous” so they might change however he was relishing the battle this season.

The champion is some extent away from Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen after two races with the younger Dutch driver now an actual contender, and probably even the favorite, for the championship.

“I’m having fun with this battle we’re having. It’s getting extra thrilling. It has been much more of a problem,” stated Hamilton, the game’s solely Black driver who has been outspoken in utilizing his platform to push for racial equality and alternative.

“I proceed to like working with this staff and it is encouraging to see the steps that my staff are actually making in direction of changing into extra inclusive and extra numerous.

“We nonetheless have lots of work to do as a sport…I do know that being right here I’ve extra of an opportunity of serving to change that than not. I do not understand how lengthy I’ll keep although, we’ll see.”