Red Bull's Mark Webber could be planning to retire from Formula One at the end of 2010, according to Lewis Hamilton.
After taking the helm of a racing yacht for a sponsor event on famous Sydney Harbour, Hamilton hinted to reporters that Australian driver Webber's ninth home race this weekend might be his last.
"I don't know how long he plans to stay in F1 but I get the sense that it's one of the years he wants to finish on top and perhaps call it a day," Hamilton said. "He has the best chance to end on that high this year and I wouldn't be surprised if he is considering it."
It has been rumoured that Red Bull, already with the 2007 world champion under contract in world rallying, could install Kimi Raikkonen as Sebastian Vettel's team-mate in 2011. Webber's contract runs out at the end of this season.
In an interview carried on ESPNF1 yesterday, Webber said: ""I have generally taken each year as it comes. At the start of this year I feel better and more motivated to keep going. Once you get great results you want the races to come every weekend. You have to earn your stripes, they don't hand these drives out for free."
Source: ESPNF1
