Much to Red Bull’s dismay, it appears that Lewis Hamilton isn’t set to leave Formula 1 anytime soon, as the seven-time World Champion is targeting a new “multi-year deal” with Mercedes.
Following a year full of disappointment and struggles, many had tipped the 37-year-old to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the current season.
Rumours of a potential retirement increased during the first half of the season, as it quickly came to light just how far off Red Bull and Ferrari the Germans were.
Things have turned around, though, with Hamilton admitting himself that the challenging season has been a “great experience” for the entire team.
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Whilst he might feel that way, Mercedes have still lost their Constructors’ crown to Red Bull and have also now been defeated by Max Verstappen in the last two Drivers’ Championships.
2023 looks set to be the year where the Germans will return to the top, with the side having solved their 2022 issues ahead of next year, where the W14 will have a “different DNA” to this year’s ‘diva’.
Hamilton is actually on-track for his worst season, not just at Mercedes but in his F1 career, with the Brit having never finished lower than fifth in the standings.
With three races to go, the Stevenage-born driver is sixth but is right on the tail of Carlos Sainz, and George Russell.
A more pressing matter is that the 103-time GP winner still hasn’t claimed a victory this season, something he’s achieved at least once in every season he’s competed in since joining McLaren in 2007.
Mercedes are also looking set to miss out on a victory in 2022, meaning their streak of winning a race every season since 2012 will end.
The team are “cautiously optimistic” about this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, so perhaps all isn’t lost just yet.
Despite the difficulties and uncertainty, though, Hamilton is more determined than ever to “get back to success” and “get that [Constructors’] championship” back.
“Each year you have to ask yourself are you willing to give as much, if not more, than you did when you first started?” Hamilton said following a question from RaceFans.
“Are you willing to give up all your time to prepare and train and work with the team and deliver?
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“If there’s ever a moment that I’m arriving and I’m just coasting along, then that’s when I don’t belong here and don’t deserve a position here, and that’s when I should stop.
“I question myself whether I’m able to do that and whether I want to do that, and the answer is yes. We obviously have a championship that we need to get back.”
“I can’t wait to the time when we get back to success, when we finally get that, when we get that championship, it’s going to make all these these tough moments worthwhile.”