OMNISPORT

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton thinks there should be more grands prix in places with "real racing history" rather than in a greater number of countries.

It was announced last week that Vietnam would begin hosting races in Hanoi from the 2020 season, the first new addition to the calendar since Liberty Media took charge last year. Mercedes driver Hamilton is unconvinced diving into additional markets is the right approach from F1's owners, instead suggesting they focus on nations with greater heritage in the sport.

"On the racing side, I don't know how important it is to go to new countries as such," he told the BBC. "If you had the Silverstone grand prix and a London grand prix, it would be pretty cool.

"We've got a lot of real racing history in England, Germany, Italy, and now in the [United] States it is starting to grow. But you only have one event per year in those places. If it was my business, I'd be trying to do more events in those countries.

"I've been to Vietnam before and it is beautiful. I've been to India before to a race which was strange because India was such a poor place yet we had this massive, beautiful grand prix track made in the middle of nowhere. I felt very conflicted when I went to that grand prix.

"We had a grand prix in Turkey and hardly anyone came. Cool track, cool weekend but poor audience.

"If you have the German Grand Prix, and you've got a grand prix in Berlin, I think connecting to cities where a lot of people are is probably a good thing, not necessarily going to countries where they don't know so much about Formula One."

Hamilton clinched his fifth F1 title in Mexico last month, meaning Michael Schumacher (7) is the only driver with more, but the 33-year-old Briton has no intention to retire any time soon.

"I feel I have still got more years, more days ahead if I am lucky and there are still many mountains to climb," Hamilton said. "There will still be difficult times ahead. I don't know when they will come but I feel better prepared now than I ever have been.

"I have got to look at this season, which has been the best of my career, and think, 'How can I improve next year?' It is easy to point out the areas but it is not that easy to improve on them."