This season, Lewis Hamilton lost a close battle to Max Verstappen. If Hamilton had won, he would have become the most successful Formula One driver in history, having won eight championships. As fate would have it, Verstappen went on to win his first Formula One title.
Following his defeat, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff hinted that Lewis Hamilton may never drive again in Formula One. Although this could simply be a case of high emotions at Mercedes, the 2021 season may have been Hamilton’s last chance to win a World Championship.
In this article, we will look at the reasons why Lewis Hamilton may never win another title.
The new set of regulations will go into effect for the 2022 Formula One season. More often than not, a new set of regulations creates a situation in which new competitors may emerge. Mercedes was the beneficiary of regulatory changes when it outperformed everyone in 2014 and effectively dominated the turbo-hybrid era.
The new season may provide an opportunity for other teams to achieve something similar. This could indicate that Mercedes is not the fastest car on the grid, and if that is the case, Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning the title appear slim.
Many believed that Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of a title win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Few people disagreed that Max Verstappen was a better driver than Hamilton in 2021. Verstappen made fewer mistakes and had his share of bad luck throughout the season, but despite having a slower car, he led the championship heading into the final race.
Verstappen is only 24 years old and will only get better, whereas Hamilton is closer to the end of his career than many would like to admit. Furthermore, the possibility of a crowded field during the 2022 season may mean that the drivers have a greater influence on the results. If that is the case, Max Verstappen is more likely to hold the advantage in the coming season.
#3 George Russell could bring entirely new dynamics to Mercedes.
Signing George Russell as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate was a risk that Mercedes had to take in the 2022 season. Hamilton is in Formula One for the next two years, and if Mercedes did not have a succession plan in place, they would have been left disappointed if he went his own way.
There’s no doubt that Mercedes will consider George Russell as a successor. This also means that Lewis Hamilton will face a challenger within his own team. A challenger, as opposed to former teammate Valtteri Bottas, who the team sees as the team’s future.
According to the history books, if Russell challenges Hamilton in the same car, it could cause friction within the team. Hamilton has not always had the best relationships with teammates who were able to challenge him, whether it was Jenson Button in 2011 or the more infamous relationship with Nico Rosberg in 2016.
With Russell regarded as Mercedes’ future, Hamilton may face new dynamics, which he may not enjoy.
