Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton didn’t do anything – and that’s exactly what kept the entire motorsport scene in suspense. Speculations circulated for weeks that the Mercedes driver would end his career after the bitter season finale in Abu Dhabi. Now Hamilton has declared that all the worries have been in vain.
A premature end to your career? That was never an issue, Lewis Hamilton makes clear with a smile on the sidelines of the presentation of the new W13. “I never said I would quit,” he said.
Hamilton only had the feeling that after losing the world championship fight, from which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen emerged victorious, he needed distance from the hustle and bustle of Formula 1. “I was with my family, that was very important.”
Ultimately, he probably didn’t care that he fueled the rumor mill for weeks with his silence and his social media boycott. Nevertheless, it is significant that in the meantime not even Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff was sure whether he could rely on his superstar. In mid-January, the Austrian admitted that Hamilton’s resignation was also an option.
Hamilton wants to attack next title in Formula 1
Now the 37-year-old is again fully focused on the 2022 season in Formula 1. Hamilton’s motivation to win the next constructor’s title with the racing team is unlimited. Additional motivation should also be the opportunity to become world champion for the eighth time and to be at the top of the leaderboard. With seven world titles, he is level with Michael Schumacher.
George Russell is now at Hamilton’s side in the new season, taking over the cockpit from Valtteri Bottas. “New energy, new blood is always great,” said the F1 star happily about his teammate. Russell previously sat in the Williams and will expect to take podium finishes in 2022.