Lewis Hamilton plans to open a museum to display his Formula 1 trophies and racing cars when he retires from racing.
Hamilton is three wins away from Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix wins. If he wins the title this year, he will contest the seven Schumacher World Championships.
Despite his dominance over the last few seasons, the Englishman is currently not showing his F1 trophies publicly – he would like this to change once he retires.
“I only have two trophies at home,” said Hamilton to Bild. “One from GQ magazine that I just put on my desk when I got home after the awards show, and one off [motor racing’s governing body] the FIA. That’s it.
“It’s funny, I’ve won all of these trophies and none of them are at home. The racing trophies are all kept. And when I say they’re in storage, it doesn’t mean they’re in boxes in the basement, you are in a private place.
“I don’t drive for the trophies. I don’t drive for records. I drive because I love it. That’s who I am.
“A lot of my friends are athletes too, and in fact all of them have their trophies on display, but that’s not how I tick. If you came to my house, you wouldn’t see that I’ve ever won a race.
“I want to put them all in a museum. My fans support me in everything I do so they can see all of the trophies. Entry can cost a pound which is then donated to charity for everyone to benefit from.”
Although he has not yet signed a contract extension with Mercedes beyond this season, he has signaled his intention to stay in F1 for at least another three years. It is widely expected that he will sign this deal in the next few months.
Although he stressed that the museum project was one for the future, he said he had broader plans to include some of his racing cars there as well.
When asked if his cars would be part of it, he said: “They are the most important companions on my journey. They are like rockets that go into space and then, when they return, are exhibited in a museum.
“I have special memories with all of my world championship cars. It’s a very personal relationship that you have built over a season. It would be great if they could be part of my museum. Starting with my karts from back then and then maybe in a series of those Development of all my racing cars, as they do in the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.
“Plus all my racing suits, the helmets – Oh, I have so many ideas. It’s going to be a big project, I have to see how I do it.
“At the moment, however, that’s not at the top of my priority list.”
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