[Misc] Will Lewis Hamilton walk away from F1?

[Icy Gull]

Your gut feeling, mine is that it’s very likely

 

[Is it PotG?]

 

[Shirty]

No, I dont think so. They'll be a bit of brinkmanship but the FIA will do whatever they need to do to keep him. We're at the start of what should be a multi-year battle between two exceptional drivers who appear to be pretty evenly matched -that is marketing heaven for the FIA so they wont want to lose out on interest in the sport and the corresponding income that would generate.

I also think Lewis would lose the biggest platform he has to promote his message of equality. If he's not an F1 driver he'll just be a slightly eccentric bloke with a dodgy accent. If he really was serious about going I think we would have heard a lot more about Mercedes making moves for other drivers too.

I'm not a massive fan of Lewis but there is no denying his talent, so I hope he does stay.

 

[Audax]

Gut feel at this point is that he'll stay and go for WDC #8.

However: I wouldn't be surprised if he did quit.

 

[crodonilson]

I've said no but that's more my desperate hope than any firm thoughts.

 

[Icy Gull]

No, I dont think so. They'll be a bit of brinkmanship but the FIA will do whatever they need to do to keep him. We're at the start of what should be a multi-year battle between two exceptional drivers who appear to be pretty evenly matched -that is marketing heaven for the FIA so they wont want to lose out on interest in the sport and the corresponding income that would generate.

I also think Lewis would lose the biggest platform he has to promote his message of equality. If he's not an F1 driver he'll just be a slightly eccentric bloke with a dodgy accent. If he really was serious about going I think we would have heard a lot more about Mercedes making moves for other drivers too.

I'm not a massive fan of Lewis but there is no denying his talent, so I hope he does stay.

There is already brinksmanship. Unacceptable that they have scheduled a resolution so long after the season has finished, which leads me to think that the FIA may actually want him gone. Madness I know given the interest that there was last season and the financial implications but all signs to me throughout the season is that Verstappen was the Champion of choice and they made it happen, and I think that may be what Lewis thinks too.

All conjecture and I could easily be talking out of my arse

 

[SUIYHP]

No chance. All his anger about Abu Dhabi aside, he would surely want the WDC record and he’s still got a few more years in him to go for it - why turn up the opportunity to definitively prove his status as the greatest F1 driver of all time?

 

[Hugo Rune]

If he is like me, he’ll have difficulty in erasing the following:

Karen on the radio to Masi
“We just need one lap”.

And then….

Cars between Verstappen & Hamilton moved out the way.

Safety car comes in one lap early.

The FIA need the Verstappen/Hamilton rivalry, it’s box office. However, fixing the result of last year’s World Championship for the purpose of ‘entertainment’ by sacrificing sporting integrity will mean Hamilton begins his new musical career this year instead of being behind an F1 car.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

No I think he will come back for the record but strangley I actually don't care whether he does or not and I'm not sure why! I follow F1 avidly and I was always a supporter of his but something has now been lost for me. Hey Ho.

 

[Brian Fantana]

I think any lingering interest in F1 from wavering fans will have been seriously damaged by the shambles of a conclusion to last season. If I was LH, I'd be walking away.

 

[Hamilton]

I think that he may not drive this year, but will return after F1 has sorted itself out and win the championship again.

 

[Shirty]

I think that he may not drive this year, but will return after F1 has sorted itself out and win the championship again.

Yes, that thought has crossed my mind too and I wouldn't be surprised if he did take a year out - the problem then being that he jeopardises his seat in a front running team (albeit things might change with the rules change this year).

If i was Lewis I would be livid at the way the season ended, but I think the FIA will make enough changes to give him peace of mind that it wouldnt happen again. I also think Max will be wanting Lewis to stay too - whatever the record books say his championship is tarnished, so I imagine he will want to put all doubts to bed winning the title fair and square.

The FIA have a history of engineering results - I remember in Schumachers later championship years he got some very dodgy calls which could have cost him results.. They really need to realise that if there is no integrity in the results everyone will give up watching.

 

[m@goo]

I have absolutely no idea because I don't watch it but I've said no because... money.

 

[Titanic]

I used to enjoy F1. Won't bother next season whatever happens.

 

[Napper]

zero chance, massive look at me character

likes the attention and wouldnt want to be out the spotlight F1 brings

 

[brighton terra]

If he is like me, he’ll have difficulty in erasing the following:

Karen on the radio to Masi
“We just need one lap”.

And then….

Cars between Verstappen & Hamilton moved out the way.

Safety car comes in one lap early.

It felt truly gut-wrenching at the time!

 

[A1X]

No, I'd say I'm 80:20 he won't go. I just feel if he was going to we'd have heard something (even if it was Mercedes scouring for a replacement).

 

[Greg Bobkin]

No.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I was told by someone who knows his onions (sorry to sound all Mouldy boots) that if he does go it's Ocon to Merc and Piastri into the Alpine seat. A lot to it by all accounts not all Massi related.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I voted yes.

The end of the season was such an utter shambles, he may think there's no point when rules are arbitrarily changed.

I'm sticking to NASCAR - having no rules at all seems to work better.....