At the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was candid in his response when asked if rumors are true that he was considering leaving Mercedes for a team that could compete with Red Bull.
Hamilton has already acknowledged that Max Verstappen and Red Bull are likely to run away with the championship again in 2023, unless Ferrari can mount a serious challenge.
He also stated that he had no intention of leaving Mercedes, calling the team his “family” and saying he doesn’t “plan on going anywhere else.” But he did add that himself and the team “need a kick” in what is being interpreted in some quarters as a warning to his underperforming Mercedes team.
So, are we to take Hamilton at his word? Or do we really believe that he was firing a shot across the bows of Mercedes to give him a competitive car, or he is off?
The obvious reason why Lewis Hamilton might want to leave is to improve his chances of winning an eighth World Championship. Along with Michael Schumacher, Hamilton is the most successful Formula 1 driver in history. Both sit on seven World Championship wins, but Hamilton will feel he should already have eight.
Hamilton was within touching distance of his eighth World Championship in 2021, when the use of the safety car allowed Verstappen to close in on the leader, and eventually defeat Hamilton and win the race – winning the Dutchman his first World Championship.
The Mercedes driver will feel he was robbed of an eighth title, and this feeling of unfinished business might persuade him it’s time to move on if he is to confirm his legacy as the greatest ever driver.
At 38 years of age, Hamilton knows he doesn’t have time on his side. So, might that increase his desire to seek pastures new to find him that elusive eighth World Championship?
There are arguments for and against. As Aston Martin has shown in 2023, competitive cars can emerge out of the pack, making Hamilton’s task even more difficult.
Driving for Aston Martin is Canada’s own Lance Stroll. Before the season started, many betting sites predicted Stroll and his Aston Martin team would challenge Mercedes this year, and they have been proven correct.
Stroll is a shining light in F1 for Canadian sports fans, and his progress this season may have generated more interest in Canadian F1 fans looking to bet on the outcome of races. Using the go to guide for sports betting is advisable for finding the best Canadian betting sites. Here you can find helpful bookmaker reviews, and the latest sports betting news, which can be helpful for keeping up to speed with all the goings on in F1.
But alongside Stroll – one of the many youngsters looking to take over from Hamilton – is the veteran driver, Fernando Alonso, who is again competing with the best drivers in F1.
Two-times World Championship winner Alonso will be 42 later this year. So he could serve as inspiration to Hamilton, showing him that he doesn’t need to panic just yet in his pursuit of his eighth World Championship. After all, if Alonso can do it at his age, there is no reason why Hamilton can’t either.