The matter of the possible withdrawal of Lewis Hamilton continues in Formula 1 , and it is that the British driver, after losing the title in the last race of last season, maintained a deathly silence and did not attend some commitments that he obliges to the regulation.
Some personalities in the Great Circus have shown their opinion on the matter, such as Bernie Ecclestone , who commented that he did not see the Englishman in 2022 in the top category, or Toto Wolff , head of Mercedes, who continues to have Hamilton in his ranks.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown is one of those who thinks the seven-time champion will return, but has doubts: “I wouldn’t be surprised if he retired, so I don’t think it should be taken for granted that he will return.”
“My opinion is that he’s going to come back, but we shouldn’t discount or not acknowledge his frustration, or maybe he hasn’t actually made a decision yet,” he told Motorsport.com. “I think he will come back, he is a racing driver, he is at the peak of his career.”
“He is very angry, but I think a driver wants to compete, and he is a fighter, so I think he will come back to try to win his eighth world championship,” explained the American. “I don’t think he’s ready to retire, that’s my opinion, because once you hang up the helmet, you do. I guess you can go back, like others have, but he’s not ready for that, and I don’t think he wants to allow anything so I lead him to retire”.
The Woking team boss hopes Hamilton will be on the grid for the first round in Bahrain, despite the #44 not speaking since the end of 2021: “Maybe he’s taking some time to make that decision and make sure, because once it’s taken, it’s done.”
“I don’t think we should downplay him, although I do think he has a burning desire to compete, and that will ultimately drive his decision. It’s just my theory.”
In the final part of the 2021 championship, the Mercedes driver managed to recover from a 19-point deficit from the Mexican Grand Prix , and came level with Max Verstappen at the Yas Marina test after winning three consecutive races.
“I think Lewis [Hamilton] is one of the smartest drivers, and he seems to be very focused when he gets in the car and puts on his helmet, I’ve seen him drive in a very passionate way,” Brown said.
“There are times when it seems like it’s impossible to stay calm, like in Saudi Arabia or Brazil. That’s why he’s won seven world championships, but I don’t think anything affects him when he puts on the helmet.” .
