Possibility of Lewis Hamilton Ditching $55 Million From Mercedes Highlighted as Doubts on Competitiveness Continues

Possibility of Lewis Hamilton Ditching $55 Million From Mercedes Highlighted as Doubts on Competitiveness Continues

Lewis Hamilton has already confirmed his future, on paper, with a two-year deal running till the end of 2025 with Mercedes. With a $55 million-a-year deal signed last year, the Briton is expected to stay at the team at least till the end of the 2025 F1 season. However, according to the experts over at The Race, Hamilton may forego a $55 million paycheck if things go horribly wrong for the Silver Arrows in 2024.

Talking about a ‘bombshell‘ retirement announcement, the hosts hypothesized, “If the Mercedes is a dog of a car again, I can see [Lewis Hamilton] questioning his commitment. He doesn’t have to see out the contract – he’s powerful enough and successful enough. So, he could walk away.”

Ever since the 2022 regulations reset came into force, Mercedes have suffered the worst. Throughout 2022, the team lagged behind Red Bull & Co. massively leading to the Briton being lapped by Max Verstappen on occasion and suffering his first F1 season without a single win.

Porpoising and poor drivability returned in 2023 with the W14, too. Naturally, Hamilton was very vocal about wanting the season to end as soon as possible, even with a handful of races remaining on the calendar.

If Mercedes drops the ball, once again in 2024, retirement isn’t the only option likely for Hamilton, though.

Could Lewis Hamilton ditch Mercedes to find championship glory elsewhere?

The panelists at The Race believe that all Hamilton wants is a shot at that elusive 8th world title. Naturally, if Mercedes fail again, Red Bull seems like the best bet for Hamilton. Having said that, with the financials and history involved, the Briton’s move to Milton Keynes alongside Max Verstappen looks impossible to land.

On the other hand, Ferrari had shown interest in signing the Brit last year before he penned the two-year deal with Mercedes, and the team looks like a strong challenger for the Bulls next year. If the Silver Arrows really do falter, Hamilton would at least be considering picking the phone up and striking up a conversation with the Scuderia again.

The idea of spearheading the iconic Italian team’s resurgence, as Michael Schumacher did back in the early 2000s, could really reel the seven-time champion towards the team. What’s more, given their recent history and Carlos Sainz’s possible departure, Maranello seems like the most likely destination for Hamilton, if push comes to shove at Brackley.

But in the event of a disaster this year, retirement seems like the most obvious response for the #44 driver as he has reiterated on many occasions that he wants to end his illustrious F1 career at Mercedes.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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