Lewis Hamilton’s future in Formula 1 remains uncertain before the 2022 season. The Mercedes driver and his team were dissatisfied with the handling of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in which Max Verstappen’s overtaking maneuver on the last lap led the Red Bull driver to the drivers’ standings.
Hamilton has not spoken to media since then, other than having a post-race podium interview immediately after the peak of the 2021 season, and has gone quiet on social media as well.
The proud Briton failed to post when he was knighted at Windsor Castle and followed everyone on Instagram in particular, including accounts like his dog Roscoe and brother Nicolas.
In a new update this week, Sky Sports’s Craig Slater said, “I have heard from high-level sources close to Lewis that at this point it is still unclear whether or not he will be on the grid for the first race of the season.
“It was presented to me like this. The longer this goes on, the longer we don’t get a result of this investigation and some of the FIA’s findings regarding future F1 behavior, the worse it gets.” Lewis Hamilton situation is.
“And that’s from a high-level source who comes close to that situation.”
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Mercedes still expects Hamilton to line up in Bahrain in March. Adds Slater, “I’ve since spoken to a number of people who have come into contact with him trying to win an eighth world title in 2022.
“What they did explain to me, however, was that it hit him very hard in the days that followed, even if he seemed to take what was happening during the night.”
However, with the ongoing FIA investigation going to play an important role, Hamilton’s return clearly cannot be guaranteed. Especially if Slater’s sources are correct and the FIA’s investigations drag on a little longer.
Should the seven-time world champion give up spectacularly before the new season, the master constructor from Brackley would look for a suitable replacement.
George Russell is joining the team from Williams this year, replacing Valtteri Bottas, but the Finn is taking on a new role at Alfa Romeo so it is very unlikely to bring him back for Hamilton for 12 months.
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Esteban Ocon was a young Mercedes driver like Russell but is happy with Alpine and is also under contract until 2024, which means a sizable compensation fee would be required to recruit him. This seems more like a change in twelve months, if Hamilton actually retires in the months ahead and a short-term replacement is found.
One potential problem, however, is that the 2021-22 Formula E season kicks off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 28th.
That means, should Hamilton step down after this date, Mercedes De Vries or Vandoorne would have to be deleted from their Formula E line-up and then find a replacement for the series after the season has already started.
However, this is probably still an easier, and certainly cheaper, course of action than trying to take off Alpine Ocon.
Russell has been excited about driving a championship-challenging car with his compatriot, and the all-British pairing is an exciting prospect.
F1 fans hope it’s not just a perspective but a reality. But if Hamilton really goes away, Mercedes could – at least in the short term – already have its successor in front of its nose.
