Lewis Hamilton has been a champion racer for a long time now. He has enjoyed a smooth hegemony for most of the last decade. After winning his first driver’s championship back in 2008 with McLaren, for the next few years, Hamilton was not able to win any season. Later, he changed teams in 2013 and joined Mercedes after Niki Lauda advised him to.
Thus, started a golden generation of Formula One where the German team had complete domination on the grid. From 2014 to 2020, fans saw Lewis Hamilton winning all the driver’s world championships except in 2016. That year, his teammate Nico Rosberg, beat the Briton. Hamilton won six titles with Mercedes, along with his first with McLaren, making his title count equal to that of Michael Schumacher. However, all that time has gone now and looks like the next generation of Formula One has smoothly taken over the Briton’s success.
Lewis Hamilton’s Peak Days Are Over But He Might Not Leave Mercedes Yet
For two years now, Mercedes has not provided Lewis Hamilton with the championship-winning car with the help of which he would get the chance to surpass the great German F1 driver, Michael Schumacher. Hence, the question arises, what might be the right thing to do for Lewis Hamilton? Should he leave Mercedes? But to which team will he move? Ferrari or Red Bull? Former Sky Sports announcer and former F1 driver Johnny Herbert feel Hamilton is not at his prime anymore, and the new generation has taken his place. The former Sky Sports announcer believes that the new younger sportspersons are better than the old ones in their respective sports. Hence, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris are having a better time on the grid than Lewis Hamilton.
Last year, it was the very first time in his career, Hamilton did not win a race in a season. After a winless season, the Briton has not been able to win any race this season so far, either. Apparently, his team Mercedes is lagging behind to make a championship-winning car. Despite that, his former teammate Jenson Button feels that Lewis should stay with Mercedes as their last contract is ending after the current season. Moreover, teams like Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Red Bull are happy with the drivers they have got. Hence, they might not show any interest in signing a contract with Hamilton at present. Button believes F1 is a rollercoaster ride because if a team stays at the top for a long, they will eventually come to a dip. But if Lewis Hamilton stays with Mercedes, they may rise up again. And nobody would ask about his retirement then.
The Curse Of The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
Just like everything come to an end at some point, Lewis Hamilton also lost his golden touch after he lost the race for the title win in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. Very few races in the history of Formula One have been as exciting or of greater significance. But since that race, the momentum shifted towards a new superstar of F1, Red Bull ace Max Verstappen.
On the other hand, Hamilton and Mercedes have been facing issues to figure out a way to build the perfect car to win championships. The seven-time champion is 38 currently. But he has not expressed any desire to retire like his rival cum friend, Sebastian Vettel. However, Herbert feels that Hamilton still possesses the skills. And if he wins another race, that might re-ignite his passion.