Ex-F1 driver John Watson thinks Lewis Hamilton will walk away from Mercedes if he gets mauled by his teammate George Russell.
In 2022, Mercedes have remained relatively uncompetitive. Thus, the intra-team rivalry between the newcomer yet charismatic George Russell has been passive.
Instead, a flourishing partnership between the two compatriots has been observed. However, several F1 drivers and experts claim that once Mercedes reaches back in winning ways, the camaraderie between the two drivers would turn into a toxic rivalry.
Hamilton claims he has evolved as a teammate since his earlier days. He claims that he would mentor Russell to become the future of Mercedes. Nevertheless, for many, that explanation isn’t enough.
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Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes
Former F1 driver John Watson thinks that Hamilton will walk out of Mercedes if Russell defeats him considerably in this season’s four races.
“If he was to get hammered by Russell in the remaining races, I don’t know what he would do,” the former Formula One driver said. “I think it would be very difficult to walk away in that context. But if Russell becomes the man at Mercedes, I don’t think Lewis will hang around.”
Currently, Hamilton trails Russell by 27 points. But Watson’s remarks might not merit, as Hamilton is eyeing to extend his stay in F1 for five years, and he often suggests he would like to remain at Mercedes.
Hamilton eyes five years more in F1
Currently, Hamilton earns $40 million per annum with Mercedes and that contract runs till 2023. Recently, Toto Wolff revealed that the seven-time world champion is eyeing to remain in F1 for five more years.
And the Mercedes boss would love to have Hamilton for the foreseeable future, and both parties will go for further negotiations. On the other hand, Hamilton’s commitment to guiding Russell further contradicts Watson’s statements.
How long Mercedes will extend Hamilton’s contract will only be known by the middle of the next season. Seeing the Mercedes superstar right now, there is no doubt he can serve for a few more years.
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