“I wouldn’t be shocked if he stopped”- McLaren boss says F1 should not take Lewis Hamilton for granted

McLaren boss Zak Brown says that it should not be assumed that Lewis Hamilton will return to the grid for the 2022 season.

Lewis Hamilton has maintained silence since the Abu Dhabi GP. Since then, there have been speculations about whether or not he will return to the sport. Amidst the chaos, FIA decided to conduct a thorough inquiry of the final race of the 2021 season.

However, the result of the inquiry would be declared near the beginning of the 2022 season. Therefore, Hamilton needs to make a decision before that.

He knew they were all against him so he was aware he had to make 0 mistakes and work harder to make impossible for them to get in his way, I guess no one expected they would fix an entire championship #MasiOUT @fia @F1 #IStandWithLewisHamilton https://t.co/RT1WiH2ofO

— – (@purplealbumm) January 19, 2022

McLaren boss Zak Brown doubts that the seven-time world champion will walk away from the sport. But, he has warned that F1 should not take him for granted.

“I’m sure he’s very angry. But I think race car drivers want to race,” Brown is quoted by the BBC.

“He’s a fighter and he will want to come back and win an eighth world title. I don’t think he’s ready to retire.”

Also Read: Former driver weighs in on Lewis Hamilton’s silence after Abu Dhabi 

FIA should not ignore Lewis Hamilton

Following the silence that Hamilton has maintained so far, it is pretty clear that he is not satisfied with how the race concluded. He entered the Yas Marina circuit level on points with Max Verstappen and had the lead throughout the race.

But an unfortunate safety car incident and a controversial decision by the race director Michael Masi changed the entire course of the race. In the end, Max Verstappen was crowned with his first drivers’ title.

Commenting on the situation, Brown said that Hamilton’s stance should not be ignored by the F1. “I don’t know Lewis that well and I wouldn’t be shocked if he stopped. I don’t think anyone should take for granted he’s coming back,” he said.

“We shouldn’t discount or not recognise his frustration and anger. And maybe he hasn’t made a decision. Maybe what he’s doing is taking time to make his decision, because once it’s made, it’s made.

“So I don’t think we should rule it out or make light of it. I just think he still has a burning desire to race and that will ultimately drive his decision.”

Also Read: George Russell clarifies he will not be studying Lewis Hamilton ahead of his Mercedes debut