“Jumped From a Team After…”: Lewis Hamilton Gives Loyalty Lessons to Fernando Alonso Despite Clouds Over Mercedes Future

It has been a rough time for Lewis Hamilton since his loss in Abu Dhabi in 2021. While the car he drove in 2022 was poles apart from the one he lost his title to Max Verstappen, the bad luck had set in that night at Yas Marina. And if you thought the worst days were over, Hamilton saw himself bow out of Q2 in the Miami qualifying yesterday. Despite being heavily disappointed with his team, yesterday, we have a reason to believe that he won’t jump ships like his ex-McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso jumped ships from Renault and joined McLaren for a year in 2007. He did this as a reigning champion after dethroning the mighty Michael Schumacher. And while there were big hopes riding on the man to bring the Driver’s Title to Woking that year, a rookie who had joined the grid put a dent in his dreams.

Incidentally, it was his own teammate Lewis Hamilton and, as the history books hold the reigning double world champion, the rookie finished tied to second place only a point behind Kimi Raikkonen, who became the champion. This saw Fernando jump back into the arms of the French team, having spent only one year at McLaren for the first time around.

Speaking to ESPN, the Mercedes driver spoke highly of his loyalty to the team. These comments also point fingers at people like Alonso who changed teams with only a single-year stint. Though this was before the strategic blunder in Q2, the feelings might still stand.

He said, “When I look at other drivers who have jumped from a team after one season, I think you’ve not given anyone a chance to really show what they can do—-And you can’t build a relationship in one year with such a huge organization. I’ve been really fortunate to be a part of that and have that experience.”

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While Hamilton may have spent years with the same team, it is not a wild belief that he may want to go looking for greener pastures as is there a delay in the Briton’s pending extension with Mercedes.

What is delaying Lewis Hamilton signing with Mercedes?

Toto Wolff is a pillar of strength for Lewis. Having seen such highs together, the most successful duo is now witnessing the slump together. He describes his relationship with the Mercedes boss as a “very special” one. But perhaps that closeness is what is affecting the contract extension.

Talking about how involved emotions are making the extension process a slow one. He said, “So, we have always been straight shooters. But I think ultimately having such a close relationship makes it hard sometimes having hard business discussions because emotion is involved and we have to be very careful to step out of the circle, put the relationship aside, and focus on business and what’s best for us both business-wise. But we have managed to find that balance really well over the years.”

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Do you think Lewis will put the pen to paper and extend his stay at Mercedes?