Lewis Hamilton’s future in Formula One is said to remain “unresolved” after new FIA President Muhammed Ben Sulayem met F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the sport’s London headquarters on Tuesday.
In the weeks since December’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, there has been much speculation that Hamilton, reportedly “disillusioned” with the campaign’s peak, could exit the sport before 2022.
Of course nothing seems certain in that regard at the moment and it would be a huge shock if he decided to retire, but many are suggesting his future on the grid could depend on the results of the FIA investigation into the final laps at the Yas Marina Circuit.
We have yet to find out what those results are, and this week’s meeting between Domenicali and Ben Sulayem would never provide a firm answer either, as they are meeting in person on Tuesday for a “friendly and productive” meeting, although of course they decided to rendezvous to consult what was discussed.
However, according to the Daily Mail, issues such as race director Michael Masi’s future would have been on the agenda, with many suggesting it could only be his removal from his post that convinces Lewis to remain there.
The report went on to say options involving Masi could see him in a revamped role with “seasoned personalities” around him if he stays in the meantime, while others suggest he is for the good of the sport have to go.
This will of course continue for a while as the FIA announces it will be reporting its full results to the World Motor Sport Council on March 18th, just before the season begins in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Mercedes has announced it will unveil its new car for the 2022 season, the W13, at a digital event on February 18, where both Hamilton and new teammate George Russell are expected to virtually answer questions from the assembled media.
It also doesn’t take an expert to guess what’s likely to be on the menu for questions, but hopefully we can have some sense of being able to move forward on March 18th when the full results are revealed.
F1 had a brilliant year of attracting new fans in 2021 and that momentum needs to be maintained as much as possible for a thoroughly enjoyable 2022 campaign.
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