Ex-Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson has warned Lewis Hamilton against reacting in a similar fashion to double World Champion Fernando Alonso, who is well-known for having switched teams at terrible times.
Some of Alonso’s career moves have been very questionable, with the Spaniard having left Renault for McLaren in 2007, before suddenly returning to Renault in 2008 despite the fact they’d become a midfield team.
Alonso also famously left Ferrari at the end of 2014 in favour of a switch back to McLaren, who became a backmarker in 2015 following their partnership with Honda.
Hamilton, of course, is in the midst of a decision himself, given that his contract with Mercedes expires at the end of 2023.
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The Briton is reportedly waiting to see if the Germans improve or not before agreeing to a new deal, with a multi-year extension supposedly being in the pipeline.
Unlike Alonso, Hamilton doesn’t have a record of changing teams at odd times, in fact, Mercedes are just the second team that the 38-year-old has raced for in his entire F1 career.
Whilst he only joined Mercedes’ F1 outfit in 2013, he’s been linked to the Silver Arrows his whole life, something which has left Davidson unconvinced that Hamilton would consider a move away from the Germans.
“I’d be very surprised if he joined another team,” Davidson said, per the Evening Standard.
“He’s been with Mercedes since his karting days. He’d be getting to that age where he’d be thinking about an exit plan and what to do with the rest of his life. He could be a Mercedes ambassador for all time.
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“He mustn’t have a knee-jerk reaction like Alonso in the past, which hasn’t worked out well for him until now.
“Put it this way, I’d be more surprised to see him change teams than walk away. But he says it with some conviction that he will carry on until he gets that eighth title.
“The team’s given him so much and they won their eighth title. You’d have to say that, if anyone can turn it around, it’ll be Mercedes. I’d say don’t have a knee-jerk reaction like Fernando Alonso in the past, which hasn’t worked out well for him until now. Just put faith in the team that they can turn it around.”