Who would leave an iconic team with a legacy to join a new one with no history to show? While that was what the entire world said but Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes, anyway. A little nudge from Ross Brawn in the former’s mum’s kitchen played the formative role in the butterfly effect that shattered the glass ceiling of Formula 1, and multiple times at that. While no other partnership has been as successful as this, an unexpected spell of bad luck seems to have hit the Silver Arrows. And with their champion now turned 38-year-old and inching towards the end of his career, will he continue to stay?

Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this season’s campaign and there are all kinds of chatter guessing about the team and champion’s next move. The boss, Toto Wolff, has answered the conjecture saying he doesn’t have a Plan B in case the British driver decides to leave and has displayed confidence in the driver and the team.

In an interview with Autosport, as quoted by Racingnews365, Wolff said, “I think it may sound naïve, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favorite. I don’t want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I’m happy with the ones that are on the team, that’s for sure. At the moment, there is no Plan B. It’s Lewis.”

While it may seem like there is no love lost, the fans surprisingly have taken a ‘realistic’ route.

Fans begin naming Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes

“The marks I left on track will stay until time and rain will wash them away. New ones will be put down.” said a departing Sebastian Vettel who announced his retirement from Formula 1 last year. And this just goes on to show that everyone is replaceable. No matter how great they have been, there will always come another to fill in. And probably the fans have taken it a bit too seriously. The favorites among them seem to be Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.

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Do you think this is it for Hamilton at the Brackley outfit? Or will he stay around to claim his eighth?