Crimson Bull will not take Hamilton so long as they’ve Max Verstappen and I do not suppose there’s a lot enchantment for Ferrari given they have not but demonstrated convincingly that they are nearer to win world titles. An explosive transfer to the much-improved Aston Martin for associate Fernando Alonso feels nearer to a Hollywood film script than actuality.
Hamilton insists he is a fighter and every thing we have seen thus far in his profession backs that up. The way in which he carried out final season was spectacular and I do not see any indicators of demotivation and chucking up the sponge but. Thus, the extension of his contract with Mercedes nonetheless appears very doubtless.
On paper, Hamilton seems to be operating out of time to say that also elusive report eighth title which he stays decided to say. That stated, Alonso’s chic performances on the age of 41 are proof that age needn’t be a barrier to success.
2023 may show to be one other missed alternative for Hamilton, however admitting defeat so quickly Mercedes can nonetheless get it proper for 2024, even within the new period of value caps. Mercedes want solely look to Aston Martin’s unimaginable turnaround for inspiration.
Will probably be a tough job given Crimson Bull’s present benefit on the pitch, however with their RB20 growth set to be affected by their penalty for breaching the 2021 value cap, a response from Mercedes can’t be dominated out as lengthy that the Silver Arrows are efficient. and waste no extra time or assets.
If Hamilton can assist Mercedes get again to profitable methods and retire from F1 with an eighth title, it might be an enormous achievement that may solely additional underline his standing as one of many best of all time.
However as issues stand, one other win, not to mention one other championship, appears a good distance off.
What is the newest with Hamilton’s contract state of affairs?
Hamilton is within the closing yr of his contract with Mercedes however has already began talks this winter with workforce principal Toto Wolff.
Mercedes’ pessimism over their probabilities of getting into the brand new marketing campaign has led to options Hamilton is obstructing a brand new deal till he is aware of how aggressive the W14 can be.
Forward of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion moved rapidly to dismiss such rumours, insisting he would stay dedicated to Mercedes regardless.
“Having a tricky yr, like we had final yr, I am nonetheless right here,” Hamilton stated. “Whether or not or not we now have a tough yr (this yr) … I’ll at all times be right here.
“I am a fighter, and we struggle as a workforce. I just like the problem of discovering options and I at all times imagine that I will put the automobile in locations the place others perhaps cannot, and I like this problem.”
Hamilton joked that he would signal a contract extension with Mercedes ‘until one thing catastrophic occurs’.
It turned out that the W14 is not very aggressive and regardless of fixing their porpoising drawback, Mercedes aren’t wanting any nearer to usually profitable races and difficult for world championships.
After a tricky first day of respectable racing, the 38-year-old’s temper has modified, with a crestfallen Hamilton conceding Mercedes are “removed from preventing” up entrance.
Issues would solely worsen over the weekend.
After seeing his vehicles path Crimson Bull’s Verstappen by greater than six-tenths of a second in qualifying, Wolff made the extraordinary admission that Mercedes was incorrect and that he ought to abandon his radical “zero pod” to seek out the way in which to victory.
Hamilton then completed fifth, two locations forward of team-mate George Russell however practically a minute behind the dominant Crimson Bulls.
Wolff described Sunday’s Grand Prix as one in every of its “worst racing days” and demanded its designers return to the drafting board to provide you with “radical” modifications.
With 2023 now wanting like a write-off after Mercedes’ lackluster begin, Hamilton’s long-term future will proceed to be a significant supply of hypothesis.
