On Thursday, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton stated that he would only leave Mercedes if he felt he had nothing left to offer the team.
He would prefer to stay with the Formula One team until his “last days.” Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the year, and speculation about his future is already widespread due to the team’s struggles to reclaim their former dominance.
However, the 38-year-old Briton claimed that he felt “amazing” about his future with the outfit.
“I am very much at home in this family,” Hamilton told reporters at Albert Park. “To be honest, I see myself with Mercedes until my last days. I have fantastic allies within the team, and great relationships here. As long as I can continue to help drive the team forward and contribute, if there is ever a point where I feel like I am unable to do that, it’s time for a youngster to come in.”
The Golden Era
Hamilton won six championships during a golden era with Mercedes but failed to win a race last year, his first season without a victory.
Neither he nor teammate George Russell managed a podium finish in this year’s season-opening races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso placed third in both races behind both Red Bull drivers.
Mercedes has acknowledged that they erred in their car design and have returned to the drawing board. Hamilton described the current car as “a little bit better” than last year’s model, which tended to bounce. However, he believes that it could take the entire season to extract the vehicle’s full potential to catch up to Red Bull.
“I am aware that catching up to the car ahead can take a long time. You just have to look at the Red Bulls; they will continue to evolve,” he said.