Lewis Hamilton plans to stay in Formula 1 with Mercedes even after his contract expires with the German team at the end of the 2023 season.
Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s former teammate and one of his closest friends on the grid, explained why Lewis still has long-term plans to stay in F1. The Finnish driver feels that Hamilton is still not completely satisfied with the recent events he has faced (the 2021 season ending and the complete 2022 season so far). Botas said:
“I think he’s not satisfied with obviously the end of last year, and also this year.”
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen shared a memorable battle in the 2021 season for the World Drivers’ Championship. As the season came to an end, their points equalized and Verstappen managed to win the race and the championship in the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
However, many questioned the events of the race and the decisions taken by the stewards, leaving Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in shock.
@F1 Hamilton has always pushed to his best ability..@F1 Hamilton has always pushed to his best ability..
The 2022 season, with new aerodynamic regulations, brought in hope for Mercedes. However, they had somehow become extremely slow and it was impossible for them to battle with the flying Red Bulls.
Mercedes’ aerodynamic adaptation posed problems and they were left behind while Ferrari and Red Bull battled through. Valtteri Bottas believes these are some of the reasons that make him stay further in the sport until he is completely satisfied. Bottas mentioned:
“Hey [Hamilton] seems like he is still enjoying it, and I think recently he’s been back at his level again. Why not [stay]? He loves racing.”
Bottas believes that age is not a matter for Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is now a 37-year-old. By this time, drivers are not expected to be as competitive as they were in their prime. However, Valtteri Bottas feels that it wouldn’t be the same for the Briton as it depends on who the driver is. The Alfa Romeo driver explained:
“Obviously, every driver’s individual. I think it’s a lot up to you; if you still want it, if you still want to be competitive, you can.”
Although Mercedes had a very bumpy start to the season, recent developments have seen them compete with Red Bull and Ferrari again. However, they are still lagging too far behind for a victory this season. This might as well turn out to be Lewis Hamilton’s first-ever F1 season without a single race win.
Formula 1 is currently seeing a trend with younger drivers approaching the grid, and even Ferrari has drivers with very little experience in the sport.
However, excellent and experienced drivers like Hamilton staying in the sport longer could mean that new drivers would get less of a chance. When Bottas was asked about this, he stated that the grid in F1 will always be a mix as every team has their own different requirements.
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