What future for Lewis Hamilton after 2023?
Out of contract at the end of the season, the seven-time world champion is at a turning point in his career according to former 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
The British driver will start his eleventh season with Mercedes, but his future with the German team is not completely certain. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are tied until 2023, but beyond this contract, nothing is certain. The driver’s age may be one of the obstacles to extending his contract. However, for Damon Hill, age is not really an argument regarding Lewis Hamilton’s future.
At 38 years old, it is obvious that Lewis is getting older, but he remains as fast as ever, wrote the 1996 champion for The Telegraph.
Considering how well drivers take care of themselves and the power steering in cars, I don’t believe there is a physical reason why he couldn’t continue to drive until his forties if he was motivated to do so. Fernando Alonso is living proof of that.
Damon Hill wonders about the reasons that drive Hamilton to continue his F1 adventure when, for some years now, rumors of a possible retirement have been echoing in the paddock.
« The question is as follows: What is holding him back here? Is it only the eighth title? Will he retire if he achieves it? Or is it because he wants to keep running for the love of the track? »
The former Williams driver continues and doubts that Hamilton keeps on driving, trying only to secure podium finishes, like Fernando [Alonso] was forced to do.
The end of the story between Hamilton and Mercedes?
For Damon Hill, the decision to continue the adventure belongs to both parties. He suggests that they are probably waiting to see the start of the season before deciding on the future of the British driver within the Silver Arrows team.
« While he and Mercedes have been saying for months that he intends to continue, the fact remains that less than a week before the first race of the year, nothing has been announced yet,” Hill says.
« We have to ask ourselves why? One possible explanation is that both parties are waiting to see how competitive Mercedes is before committing. »
According to him, Mercedes’ potential hesitations to finalize the contract of their driver would be related to the salary that the British driver receives. Furthermore, the emergence of his teammate George Russell may make Mercedes think twice.
Lewis is not cheap. He gives a lot to Mercedes, but he also costs them a lot. With George Russell, they have a young driver who could be capable of delivering a championship in the right car.
Finally, Damon Hill puts things into perspective regarding the situation of the multiple champion and seems quite confident about his future in F1.
Regardless of the reason, Hamilton is without a contract at the end of the season. And it will be fascinating to see his next move. I don’t think anyone, apart from Lewis and Mercedes, knows the answers to these questions, but one thing is certain, we are in an important moment in the career of one of the great names in sports.
