“He now has many interests outside of racing,” Lewis Hamilton lacks the same motivation as Max Verstappen to thrive in F1, claims Felipe Massa
Felippe Massa weighs in on Lewis Hamilton's future in f1 beyond 2023 after dry spells for over a year now.
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Lewis Hamilton, Felippe Massa and Max Verstappen
Felipe Massa, former Formula One driver, has expressed apprehensions over Lewis Hamilton‘s motivation to remain in the sport. Hamilton, who has not yet signed a contract extension with Mercedes until 2023, may contemplate retiring, given the team is unlikely to compete for the championship this year. Mercedes is trying to keep up with Red Bull’s fast pace, and their clients Aston Martin are outclassing them. With Red Bull setting a high pace and Aston Martin giving them stiff competition, the Mercedes driver might be measuring his options.
Despite being F1’s statistically most successful driver of all time, having won seven world championships and a record 103 Grand Prix wins, Hamilton had a winless season in 2022 for the first time in his F1 career, as Mercedes struggled to keep up with Red Bull’s dominance. Massa, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, has raised concerns about whether Hamilton will have the necessary desire to continue competing at a lower level or if he would instead indulge in his many interests outside the cockpit.
“It is not easy to find motivation when you have already won everything and drive a Mercedes that is struggling to reach the desired level,” Massa added. “At the beginning of his career, he was still like [Max] Verstappen, and he only thought about racing 24 hours a day. However, Lewis now has many interests outside of racing.”
Felipe Massa believes the winless 2022 and an impressive George Russell might drive Lewis Hamilton toward retirement
In 2022, George Russell joined Mercedes, and he quickly established himself as one of the quickest drivers on the grid. He outscored Hamilton by 35 points and even won his debut race in Brazil, with Hamilton finishing as the runner-up to his teammate. Russell’s consistent performance put him ahead of Hamilton in the driver’s championship standings. This may have given Hamilton second thoughts about his participation in F1.
Massa suggested that Russell’s performance has caused doubts in Hamilton’s mind. He said, “What is true is that, in Russell, he has for the first time found a teammate who can really cause him trouble.” Hamilton’s contract ends this year, and this has added further doubts to the Brazilian’s head.
Although Hamilton has previously stated his commitment to the team beyond 2023, Massa’s comments suggest that the future of the seven-time world champion in F1 remains uncertain. It remains to be seen whether Hamilton will retire to seek his other interests beyond the sport or continue racing after 2023.
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Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)