Lewis Hamilton commits to Mercedes until 2025
Lewis Hamilton has been told he should have finished his career at Ferrari instead of having his hopes of landing an eighth title dashed by staying with Mercedes. The 38-year-old is joint top of the overall F1 title standings alongside Michael Schumacher, with the duo both winning seven world championships.
Hamilton took a Mercedes F1 seat in 2013 following a six-year stint with McLaren. The blockbuster star won his first world championship in 2008 before winning six titles in seven years between 2014 and 2020.
He was then on course to move ahead of Schumacher in 2021 after building a comprehensive lead in the season-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But following a late safety car, the veteran was ultimately beaten by Max Verstappen. And since then, Mercedes have fallen off the pace following a string of F1 regulation changes.
Hamilton had been tipped to quit the Silver Arrows and move to Ferrari earlier this year as his contract was coming to an end. But last month, the Stevenage-born ace finally put pen-to-paper to commit to his future to Mercedes until 2025. And former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Johnny Herbert thinks Hamilton made the wrong decision.
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“He may be aware of what may be happening in the future with Mercedes and has been satisfied that is where his future is,” the 59-year-old explained as part of a link-up with Grosvenor Casinos. “Still, I would have liked to have seen the final part of his career in a Ferrari.
“I honestly think he was the right character and the perfect fit for them. If he is happy where he is, for him, that is the best mental place for him to be. You have got to have belief in where you are at and Lewis does, which is why he re-signed.”
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“Based on the last couple of years, I don’t see Lewis getting an eighth title. The car has got better since they changed from the original concept, but they are only as good as the gap behind Red Bull. They are not ahead of the game. Can they turn it around? I don’t know. I haven’t seen those positive signs. They have gone forward but not very far. The car is not a race winner.”
Hamilton endured a nightmare season in 2022 as he finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship standings. But he has improved this time around and now finds himself behind only Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the pecking order.
And after signing his new deal, the ace said: “We have never been hungrier to win. We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again.”
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