Lewis Hamilton Predicted to Leave Mercedes for “Broken” F1 Rivals if the Horror Show Continues

As if going a full season without a race win last year wasn’t enough, the start of the 2023 season came with another wave of embarrassment for Lewis Hamilton. The Briton finished P5 behind both Red Bull drivers, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. That was too much for the Mercedes driver who lashed out at his team, sparking rumors of a possible switch to rivals in Maranello. While he later admitted that would not happen, a former Ferrari legend backs him to make a switch sometime in the future.

After the disappointing result in Bahrain, Hamilton blamed his team for not taking his feedback on the car seriously. That was when the speculations of a rift in the camp started surfacing. The 7-time champion was quick to nip the rumors in the bud when he reiterated his loyalty to the team he claims backed him since he was a 13-year-old.

Could Lewis Hamilton follow his idol Ayrton Senna’s footsteps and land at Ferrari?

What Ferrari has achieved in F1 since its advent is a feat every other team can only aspire to reach someday. That legendary status makes it all the more appealing to every driver, no matter how bad a stage the Prancing Horse may be going through. The great Ayrton Senna is one of many who’ve driven for the Maranello-based team. Knowing how much Lewis reveres him, could he one day don the red overalls?

Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, in a recent interview with Kronen Zeitung said, “Every driver wants to drive for Ferrari at least once. And almost all good drivers have done that. Senna just didn’t go to the Scuderia , because he knew: I can never win there . It may be that Lewis feels the same way.” [Translated using Google]

“If he doesn’t get a competitive car at Mercedes, if he doesn’t see a place at Red Bull Racing, he might think: I don’t want to stop yet, I want to give Ferrari another try. Maybe I can fix it.”

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That is something that has given the Mercedes boss something to think about. Toto Wolff, not too long ago, talked about the possibility of Lewis switching to a different team if Mercedes continues to struggle.

Toto Wolff feels Hamilton’s days at Mercedes may be numbered

Despite turning 38 recently, the Stevenage-born driver has continued his run in F1. The biggest reason behind it is the hunger to win the coveted 8th world championship title. That, according to Toto, could turn out to be the reason for his star driver’s departure from the team if they fail to deliver a championship-worthy car.

BBC recently quoted Wolff as saying, “if he wants to win another championship, he needs to make sure he has the car. If we cannot demonstrate we are able to give him the car in the next couple of years, he needs to look everywhere.”

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Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this year. It will be interesting to see if he signs an extension if they fail to progress further in the season.