Despite the early season struggles for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton is adamant that he is not quitting on the team. Many have questioned the 7-time world champions’ will to continue with the team after its disastrous start to the 2022 season.
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But in a recent statement, Hamilton shut down all of his critics by stating that he is 100% committed to the team. It is quite clear that he was replying to the criticism of former world champion Mika Hakkinen.
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The Finnish driver had mentioned after a tough start to the season and the uncompetitive nature of Mercedes in 2022, Hamilton would be thinking of leaving the team.
He also stated that according to him, the British driver would be sulking in the team meetings. But Hamilton fans on Twitter were not happy with Hakkinen’s comments and with Lewis’s reassurance to continue with Mercedes, they took to Twitter to criticize the former world champion.
GOAT mentality #LewisHamilton
Hamilton: “I am 100 per cent committed to this team and there is nowhere else I want to be. Just because we have hit a rough patch, it is not in my DNA to pack up. We are still world champions and we can fix this. It will be a painful year that we will have to ride out together.”
Drag him LEWIS!!!!!
#F1: Lewis Hamilton responded to certain comments about him leaving Mercedes: “I’ve seen a couple of comments from certain individuals that I remember growing up respecting when I was younger, but ultimately their comments are silly and a bunch of nonsense all in the aim
Oh you didn’t hold back did you mate 😂
I love Mika but he’s clearly sour. Because of his protégé Bottas he can’t think clearly about Lewis and Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton blasts off recent criticism amidst struggles with Mercedes
The 7-time world champion did not pull back on his comments and blasted off his critics for their recent statements. He emphasized the fact that he is not a quitter and will not give up on the team anytime soon. Although he did not mention Hakkinen by name he called him out in his own way.
“I’ve seen a couple of comments from certain individuals that I remember growing up respecting when I was younger, but ultimately their comments are silly and a bunch of nonsense all in the aim to get headlines to keep themselves relevant,” said Lewis.
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – April 22, 2022, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during a press conference REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
“I’ve been with Mercedes since I was 13. We’ve had amazing times together. We’ve ridden the highs and lows together. I am 100% committed to this team. There’s nowhere else that I want to be. Just because we’ve hit a rough patch, it’s just not in my DNA to back out,” said Hamilton.
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It is fascinating to see how Hamilton responded to Mika’s criticism without even taking his name in response. It isn’t clear whether it will make any difference to their off-track relationship and the respect that they have for each other.
Let’s hope their camaraderie does not change that much after the whole situation. Hopefully, Lewis can silence always critics on the track very soon.