Lewis Hamilton will head into the 2023 season looking for redemption after a disastrous 2022 campaign. Last year was the first time in his career, that he failed to win a single race throughout the season and it is something he desperately wants to change this time.
Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen posted a video on his Twitter account where he shared his thoughts on how Hamilton’s 2023 season is going to look like. He spoke about the possibility of him retiring after this year, and also about his chances when it comes to fighting for the world championship.
According to Hakkinen, Hamilton will be very motivated to shut his haters and critics up this season. As far as his title chances are concerned, the Finn feels that Hamilton will give his everything to break Michael Schumacher’s record and win his eighth championship.
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Hakkinen on whether Lewis Hamilton will retire from F1
Hakkinen did not directly hint at Hamilton’s F1 retirement but wondered how much patience he has left in him. The latter has a huge number of critics who are constantly putting him under pressure, despite him being one of the (if not the) greatest F1 drivers of all time.
“I’m sure there are a million things Hamilton would want to say,” Hakkinen added. “It’s not an easy place to be after all these years.”
However, the former McLaren driver feels that Hamilton keeps his mouth shut only because he knows how much controversy, him being honest may cause.
Also read: What Is the Bahrain Curse in F1?- Why Lewis Hamilton & Co. Would Rather Finish Second
Hamilton will lash out if Mercedes don’t have a fast car
Mercedes’ W13 was a very slow car by their standards. The Silver Arrows dominated the sport since the start of the turbo-hybrid era in 2o14, winning eight world championships. In 2021, Red Bull caught up with them as Max Verstappen took home the drivers’ title but somehow, they managed to retain the constructors’ crown.
Their 2022 car, the W13, however, was slower than both Red Bull and Ferrari, which limited Hamilton’s chances of fighting for wins. The seven-time world champion went through the entire season without winning a race, whereas his new teammate George Russell, managed to sneak in a win at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP.
According to Hakkinen, if the W14 is fast and Hamilton can fight for wins consistently, the atmosphere at the Brackley-based outfit will be ‘well and good’. On the other hand, if the car is slow yet again, Hamilton may have some harsh words to say.
