Ferrari Makes Lewis Hamilton Change Retirement Plans With Lure That Mercedes Couldn’t Promise

Lewis Hamilton, the 7X world champion could’ve turned it 8 if things had gone his way at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. Nonetheless, Hamilton has been pushing and trying his best to get back to winning ways but Mercedes just isn’t able to provide him the car that can challenge Red Bull. And after struggling for a couple of years, Hamilton decided to make the Ferrari switch. And the move seemed to have changed Hamilton’s mind about his retirement plans. But how?

“We still have unfinished business”, said Lewis Hamilton as he announced his Mercedes contract extension last year. However, things have only gone south for the Briton who now struggles to find a place in the points with his Mercedes. Seems like Ferrari is the team that’s going to help Hamilton finish the “unfinished business”. The Scuderia are arguably the closest team to Red Bull and the ones with the best chances of beating Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the coming year. 

And this form of Ferrari seems to have changed Hamilton’s retirement plans. The 7X champ was down and beaten midway through last year. When he was asked whether winning the 8th championship would make his retirement, the Brit suggested that the 8th championship isn’t going to be a deciding factor in his decision to retire. But things have changed after the Ferrari move as the 8th championship is now in consideration for the most successful driver in F1.

Speaking on the CBS Mornings channel, Gayle King asked Lewis Hamilton if he’s considering retirement from F1 and thinking about a career in other things that he’s passionate about and questioned, “I wonder, are you even starting to think about your next chapter in the end of the road or no, not really?” To which Hamilton replied, “No, I’m firstly fighting for trying to get back to winning this 8th championship.”

He then went on to explain how the last 2 seasons with the team not performing well have been tough and how there’s been a lot of vulnerability within the team. And yet, despite the struggles, the Brit continues to enjoy his battles on track.

Lewis Hamilton had “so much fun” battling Kevin Magnussen at Miami GP

Being stuck behind Kevin Magnussen isn’t what Mercedes or Lewis Hamilton aim for but that is the situation Hamilton found himself in after crashing into Fernando Alonso on lap 1. The 7X champ spent more than half of the race trying to find a way past the Danish driver, who was getting his elbows out at every given opportunity. And while Hamilton finished out of points, he thoroughly enjoyed the battle.

When Lewis Hamilton was asked about his battle with Magnussen and being stuck behind him, he said, “I had so much fun. I just spoke to Kevin just now, and I was like, I had a good time. He said he didn’t. Honestly, I love racing in that situation when you’re battling with someone non-stop through a race. I think that’s what we live for, right? There are some races where you don’t get to have that opportunity.”

Will we get to see Hamilton battle Max Verstappen once again, just the way he fought with Kevin Magnussen?