That is the warning from F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart, who reckons Brit Hamilton may start looking an exiting the sport.
Hamilton is closing in on a fifth world title and could secure the Drivers’ Championship if he finishes seventh or higher at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old is under contract at Mercedes until 2020 – at which stage he could be a seven-time title holder.
Michael Schumacher (7) retains the all-time record for F1 titles but Hamilton is closing in on the Ferrari legend.
But Sir Jackie has warned Hamilton may look to quit the sport before he reaches Schumacher’s benchmark.
“Will Mercedes keep going? You’d think so. Will Lewis keep going? At some point, he’ll suffer burnout,” Sir Jackie said ahead of the Mexian Grand Prix.
“He’s got other passions in his life: the fashion, the music.
“But while he’s still enjoying it, you would back him to keep winning.
“Plus, there’s the factor of it being nice to stop while at the top.
“But the Schumacher record is breakable. Records are there to be broken.”
Hamilton’s F1 team-mate at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas, signed a contract extension in the summer that could run until the end of the 2020 season.
It means Mercedes could be in line for another two years of dominance on the grid.
Both Ferrari and Red Bull have struggled for consistency this season, with Mercedes kicking on from an excellent finish to the 2017 campaign.
As for Lewis Hamilton, Sir Jackie is not yet whether the Brit deserves to be spoken about as one of the sport’s all-time greats just yet.
“Lewis has to be in the conversation. But that comes at the end of his career and he’s not there yet. You can see on the grid he still wants it and that’s partly helped by how the sport is now,” he said.
“If you look at his and the drivers’ faces before Sunday’s race, you’ll not see them particularly uptight as there’s not a serious risk of a fatality or major injury.
“The stress we had doesn’t exist for them now.
“In assessing Lewis’ greatness, that’s key. The risks are unlikely to be a factor in making his decision of when to retire. In truth, it means he can go on for longer.”
Max Verstappen was fastest in Friday’s practice ahead of Mexican Grand Prix qualifying today.
Hamilton was way down in seventh but knows his title rival Sebastian Vettel needs to win this race to keep the Drivers’ Championship battle alive.