Mercedes are said to be drawing up contingency plans if Lewis Hamilton decides its time for him to retire ahead of the F1 2022 new season
Missing out on a record eighth drivers’ championship title after Max Verstappen got the better of him at the season final F1 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has maintained a deafening silence since finishing second.
After many called Verstappen’s win as a robbery with Michael Masi’s bemusing decision making costing the Briton a record title, Hamilton decided to abstain from the prize ceremony as well. While Mercedes ended up winning a record eighth successive constructors championship title, both Hamilton and Toto Wolff decided to skip the gala owing to the set of events which had unraveled at the Abu Dhabi GP.
Mercedes Could Opt To Call Back Valtteri Bottas If Lewis Hamilton Decides To Retire Ahead Of F1 2022
Wolff has since gone onto comment at what transpired at the race with him alluding at Hamilton eyeing retirement from Formula One. Wolff went onto talk about how he’s unsure if Hamilton whose extremely dismayed at how things turned out at the season finale would be coming back once the new season commenced in F1.
While these are still rumours, reports are now stating Mercedes have already begun drawing up contingency plans if Hamilton indeed decides his time is up. While the Brit still has two years on his contract at Mercedes, Motorsport.com has gone onto claim that Mercedes have already begun scouring for new drivers if Hamilton doesn’t turn up for F1 2022.
And Valtteri Bottas has emerged as Mercedes’ top choice with the team willing to call back the Finn despite him now committed to Alfa Romeo. Nyck de Vries is another option after having won the Formula E Championship.