This Sunday at Hockenheim, Lewis Hamilton lines up for his 100th grand prix. He's come a long way since he made his bow in motor racing's top tier in 2007. He was a world champion a year later, but right now it would seem his career is, if not at a crossroads, at a point where some big decisions have to be made.
His contract with McLaren runs out at the end of this year and the Briton say he wants to sort his future out over the August summer break. The big cheeses at McLaren's Woking factory may be feeling a little uncomfortable at such news. After all, his musings come off the back of two awful grands prix by their high standards.
Hamilton and Jenson Button could only manage eighth and 10th in their home grand prix last time out, and the team are only fourth in the constructors' championship, the same place Hamilton occupies in the drivers' rankings.
What will comfort them is that Hamilton's options aren't as many and varied as he would like. Mark Webber has just penned a new deal with Red Bull, which blocks off the most attractive escape route. Ferrari are not a feasible option given that Fernando Alonso has the power of veto over teammates. The two clashed in 2007 while teammates at McLaren.
Another possibility could be a move to Mercedes. When Hamilton arrived on the scene in 2007, Michael Schumacher was recently retired. The German will also spend the summer break deciding on his future - whether to retire again or to take another contract. With improving fortunes recently he may be tempted to stay on. Even if he doesn't, would Hamilton really want to throw his lot in with a team who have been performing disappointingly this season?
The curveball in this situation could be Lotus. Five podiums this season have seen them scrape above McLaren in the standings. Some stand-out performances in the next two races could certainly give Hamilton some food for thought.