Unworthy World Cup final has an effect: Hamilton lets speculate vigorously about resignation

Lewis Hamilton has only appeared in public since the end of the Formula 1 season. He does not comment on his future. It is discussed again and again whether the record world champion will resign out of disappointment. Especially since the Mercedes driver is still waiting for promised answers.

The uncertainty in Formula 1 has not been as great as it is these days. The radically revised regulations not only ensure completely redesigned and developed cars, but hopefully also more exciting racing. The goal is to have less chasing after due to fragile aerodynamics, instead there should be more exciting duels in the 2022 season. The earliest test drives in Barcelona at the end of February will show whether this will succeed. And then at the latest it will also be clarified how much truth there is behind the speculations about the future of Lewis Hamilton.

The starting point is supposedly clear, as ntv motorsport reporter Felix Görner explains: The seven-time world champion “has a contract with Mercedes that runs until 2023”. But only supposedly clear, because the public silence that Hamilton seems to have imposed on himself since the dramatic World Cup final in Abu Dhabi, which was decided against him only after several protests, naturally leaves room for interpretation. Whether the 37-year-old is simply regenerating extensively in order to start the attack on the eighth world title well-rested – or actually seriously considering retiring from Formula 1.

Craig Slater from Sky Sports UK sees evidence of this. He had “received information from high-ranking sources close to Lewis” that “it is still unclear at this point in time” whether the British record world champion will be at the season opener in Bahrain (March 18th to 20th / in the live ticker at ntv.de) rolls to the starting line in his silver-painted company car. Slater had exchanged views with several people and learned that the bitter defeat on the last lap of the last race in Abu Dhabi had “hit Hamilton hard”, and: “It dragged on.”

There is only an exception for the Royal Family

Hamilton had confidently led the season finale for a long time and looked like the safe world champion until a late safety car phase brought the field closer together. While Hamilton stayed on the track on worn tires, Red Bull took the risk and pitted Max Verstappen. Then the race management around Michael Masi took over the inglorious leading role. When the cars were lined up behind the safety car, five lapped drivers were between the championship rivals.

Masi first communicated that the remaining number of laps was not enough for them to drive past the field and catch up, but then changed his mind at short notice. When the race was reopened for the last lap, Verstappen easily overtook Hamilton on fresher tires and was crowned world champion. Hamilton had led the Grand Prix for more than 57 of 58 laps and was left empty-handed in the end. His radio message (“It’s been manipulated”) was just as unconsequential as Mercedes’ protests.

Since then, however, Hamilton has made himself rare in public, like Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, did not appear at the mandatory gala at the end of the season, and gave no interviews. The 103-time Grand Prix winner only attended one appointment at Windsor Castle, where Prince Charles knighted him on behalf of the Queen for his outstanding achievements with the official title of “Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” . He has been nicknamed “King Lewis” for a long time on the racetracks of the world.

The FIA ​​has not yet provided any answers

Wolff, meanwhile, stated that “Lewis and I are disaffected” with the events leading up to this final round and “will never get over them”. “This is not possible”. The Austrian, under whose leadership Mercedes has won the constructors ‘championship eight times in a row since 2014, but for the first time in this era not also been the drivers’ world champion, felt completely defenseless at that moment. Wolff compared his perceived powerlessness to “a totalitarian regime”. It should have been similar to Hamilton, who congratulated Verstappen fairly and was clearly shocked.

Sky reporter Slater now suspects that the official processing of this exciting, but at the same time unworthy final, announced by the FIA, also had a direct influence on Hamilton’s deliberations. “The longer it goes on,” says Slater, “the longer we don’t get a result,” and it remains unclear, “how Formula 1 will behave in the future, the worse the Lewis Hamilton situation.” Behind this demand to the FIA ​​is less the frustration about the defeat and much more the absolutely understandable requirement for the rules and the rulers to make consistent decisions. The events in Abu Dhabi gave even some innocent observers the impression of arbitrariness and damaged Formula 1 as a whole.

Nevertheless, a short-term resignation from Hamilton seems less likely than the continuation of the unique career. Because in the coming season he has the chance to take over the title of record world champion jointly with Michael Schumacher if he should have collected the most points for the eighth time at the end of the season. Since 2014, the most successful driver in Formula 1 history in terms of victories, pole positions, podium finishes and leading laps has been able to do so in six out of eight years, only Nico Rosberg (2016) and Max Verstappen (2021) broke their dominance. ntv reporter Görner suspects that Hamilton’s attention is absolutely right: “The king is silent and everyone else is talking about him.”

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