Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton will be joining the Mercedes team for the 2023 season. Hamilton is looking forward to the new test and reserve driver Mick Schumacher, but also clearly classifies his role in the team.
After leaving Haas as a regular driver, Mick Schumacher will return to the bench for the new Formula 1 season and become a reserve driver for Mercedes. This is certainly not the ideal scenario for the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, who had wanted to continue fighting for points on a permanent basis.
On the other hand, it is a plus for the 23-year-old that he will be able to profit from the top drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and gain important experience – even if the record champion emphasised in an interview with Sport Bild that the role of the reserve driver has definitely changed in recent years.
“You don’t work that closely with the third driver anymore, it’s a lot of simulator work and not like it used to be, even though we’ll still be teammates,” the 37-year-old pointed out.
In other words, Hamilton and Schumacher will hardly meet each other in the course of their day-to-day work, which means there will be little personal exchange.
Hamilton wants to retire as F1 World Champion
Nevertheless, Hamilton emphasised that the former Haas driver was “a great talent” and “an asset for Mercedes”.
“He is a German driver. His father Michael and Mercedes were already closely connected,” the British driver made clear.
While Mick Schumacher’s future in Formula 1 is likely to last for a long time, Lewis Hamilton is keeping a low profile on the subject. What is clear is that he has “not yet started contract talks with Mercedes about a collaboration after the 2023 season. There hasn’t been enough time yet, we’ve been on the road for two months at a time.”
Hamilton now finds himself thinking about ending his career. But then the feeling comes back that “other things” can wait and that “there is definitely more” he wants to achieve.
“It’s not going to be a hugely long time now, but I’m definitely going to stick around,” Hamilton said. “Quitting as a world champion is, I think, a dream that every athlete has – and so do I.”
I fear he has left to too late. George has proved he is pretty much on a par with Lewis and will only improve. Max is clearly a step ahead and is showing no signs of slowing. So, it would take a very good Merc and a very unlucky George for Lewis to take the crown again any time soon. Given that RB still look good for ’23 and Merc seem to have already conceded that they will not make the cut next year; plus the fact the Lewis is not getting any younger, I think his tie with Michael for WDC crowns is all he can hope for. His best bet is to retire sooner rather than later, while he is still near the top, and not leave it until he becomes just another also ran.
Hamilton would have been an also ran midfield driver but for all the games that MB and FIA played on the rest of the field.
His arrogance can be attributed to the fact that he had it too easy for too long, and he has put a halo behind his head, assisted by a few despicable fellows like Toto.
Together, they have ruined what could have been a very fine sport of F1, for an unpardonable seven years.
I feel sorry that two exceptional drivers Alonso and Rosberg could not achieve their due because of the cheating, skullduggery and politics that the train practiced. Sad.
Read train as twain.
You do spout some nonsense, Vijay. Where does your hatred come from!