No more speculation? Hamilton will not retire, says his former teammate

There is no doubt that the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi left a huge mark not only in the world of Formula 1, but in the whole motorsport. Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate, now believes his career will continue. What did he say about it?

There are several reasons why it is almost unthinkable that Hamilton would end his career as a Formula 1 driver.

Although for a while it did look like the seven-time world champion would not be able to take defeat in the last race of the season, it is now time to put an end to all the speculation. While the fact remains that Hamilton has taken a complete break from social media following the end of the 2021 season, and even stopped following F1 on his Instagram for a while, his departure would otherwise have been announced long ago.

Indeed, Mercedes is already slowly beginning to focus on the new season, with the first tests in Barcelona starting on February 23. And it’s really undesirable for Hamilton to announce his end at this time. But it’s true that anything can happen in the world of Formula 1, and so his return is still not definitively confirmed.

“I really hope he will continue to race. I think he wants it, he can still achieve a record eighth title and make Formula 1 history,” Button said on Good Morning Britain, quoted by Motorsport.

McLaren boss Zak Brown also weighed in on the subject. “I think he’s going to come back to F1. Yes, he may still be angry, but he’s still a Formula 1 driver who wants to win,” Brown revealed in a statement on McLaren’s official website.

“I don’t think he’s ready to leave either. I think he will want to go for his eighth world title. There are still many factors why he should continue in F1,” Brown added.

A similar statement was made recently by newly appointed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

So it is really unlikely that even with the tests looming Hamilton will end his active career.

The first tests will take place in Barcelona on 23-25 February, while the official testing will begin in Bahrain on 10 March and will also last two days. The fans are already expected to be present in Bahrain and there will be no shortage of television coverage.

Sources: McLaren Racing, Motorsport