“I don’t think he’s coming back. His disappointment is too big,” were the latest words from Bernie Ecclestone, the former Formula 1 supremo, about the future of Lewis Hamilton in the sport. Ecclestone spoke to Anthony, the Mercedes driver’s father, on the phone but admitted that given the uncertainty about whether or not he will retire, they did not speak about the next steps for Hamilton.
And while Hamilton has slipped off the radar on social media since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, even choosing not to show his pride at receiving an accolade, the Brit is still expected to make his return to F1 in 2022.
Ecclestone doesn’t expect that from him – but the rest of the F1 world does.
Commenting on Lewis’ unfollowing everyone on Instagram, his brother Nicolas said, “I think he’s just taking a little break on social media. I can’t blame him, social media can be a very toxic place, but it’s cool. “
Of course, it was a traumatic end to the 2021 season for Hamilton and Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff declared himself and his driver “disaffected” when Red Bull rival Max Verstappen was crowned world champion on the Yas Marina Circuit.
Wolff added this week of Hamilton’s lack of activity on Instagram and Twitter: “The silence is naturally there because he simply has no words.”
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The Austrian explained reassuringly: “Lewis was in the office with me and everyone else involved and we have been in constant contact over the past few days.”
Given Hamilton’s strong performance throughout the season, arguably his best despite not claiming a record-breaking eighth drivers’ title, it is considered unlikely that he would give his career so much more time.
Red Bull certainly sees it that way. Adviser Helmut Marko insists that the seven-time world champion Hamilton, who has only missed the 2016 and 2021 titles in the last eight seasons, is still at the peak of his game.
Marko said: “Lewis will do everything he can to get the eighth title. He’s still too good to quit and has dealt with losses before. He can do that too now.”
This will of course also serve as a message for Verstappen not to underestimate how strong the reaction of 36-year-old Hamilton will be, who will come into force on the 7th.
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The 2021 duel between Verstappen and Hamilton was one for the ages, and the pair delivered one of the best seasons the sport has ever seen, with several events towards the end of the year, notably the Brazilian Grand Prix, commemorating them Superiority of the latter quality.
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His level of performance and the fact that he is on a £ 40 million a year contract with Mercedes through 2024 should mean Hamilton overcome disappointment with how the Abu Dhabi race went.
It is to be hoped and expected that by the time testing begins in February, Hamilton will focus fully on becoming the only F1 driver to ever win eight drivers’ championships.
With the right equipment next season, Hamilton will be ahead of the pack like any other driver, and Verstappen knows that. He’s enjoying renewing their rivalry after making it clear he doesn’t want the Mercedes man to retire.
The very first Dutch world champion said: “Well, I mean, I can of course understand that you are not happy the first few days after a race like this.
“But you should also understand, like I said, that at the end of the day it’s racing and things like this can happen to you. And I think he should just look back on what he has already achieved.
“That should give him a lot of comfort and should also be the drive to just keep going because he’s still trying to fight for the eighth title. And he will definitely do that again next year. I don’t see any reason to give up or quit now. “
Verstappen is clearly on the same page as Marko and after being on par with Hamilton and almost losing, he will know that without the happy timing of the safety car in Abu Dhabi, he would make few mistakes in the 23-22s of 2022 can afford. Racing calendar.
Ecclestone was turned out to be wrong, and Hamilton was due to compete alongside George Russell in a redesigned Mercedes car in March. Can he claim his title back? That will be the biggest question at the start of the new season – and it will no doubt be an absolute thrill to find the answer.
Verstappen can’t afford to expect anything less than the very best from the British.
