Over the winter break, all of the talk was about Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes contract, with the Brit promising to extend his current deal towards the end of last season.
Despite both Hamilton and his Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claiming that a deal was pretty much certain, the 2023 season has now started and the Brit has not extended his contract yet.
This has sparked concerns from fans that Hamilton could quit Mercedes at the end of the season, with the 38-year-old rumoured to be weighing up his options following Mercedes’ dismal start to 2023.
The Silver Arrows looks to be the fourth fastest team on the grid this season, some way away from challenging for podiums let alone race wins.
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Whilst both Hamilton and Wolff have said that their relationship at Mercedes will definitely continue, the seven-time world champion has been linked with a move to Ferrari should Mercedes’ performance not improve this year.
F1 commentator Simon Lazenby has suggested that every driver dreams of racing for Ferrari, meaning that a move to the Scuderia can never be fully ruled out for Hamilton.
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” said Lazenby when asked about Hamilton moving to Ferrari.
“He’s not going to join Red Bull while Max is there. It’s the desire of all drivers to drive for Ferrari.
“In the past, Lewis has been quoted as saying he would like to drive for Ferrari. If Ferrari moves comfortably ahead of Mercedes I wouldn’t rule it out.”
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Hamilton has admitted that he dreams of retiring as a world champion, meaning that the Brit may be forced to take his services elsewhere to be able to make this happen.
The 38-year-old’s relationship with Mercedes is currently strained, with Hamilton recently claiming that Mercedes owe him an apology for not listening to his feedback about the W13 last year.
While Hamilton is obviously most likely to stay with Mercedes, it will be interesting to see if he entertains any other talks, should Mercedes continue to falter this year.