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

Samriddhi Jaiswal
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"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.

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

About the author

Samriddhi Jaiswal

Samriddhi Jaiswal

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Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.

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