Brundle: Hamilton 'not scared' of leaving Mercedes

40

Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton wouldn't be scared of leaving Mercedes and undertaking a new challenge in F1, but admits the seven-time world champion also has "a lot of good reasons" to remain with the Brackley squad.

Mercedes' dismal start to its 2023 campaign has led to speculation about Hamilton's future. The Briton's contract with the German manufacturer expires at the end of this season.

"But while Hamilton has repeatedly expressed his desire to remain with the Mercedes family, his outlook could change if another season of duress awaits the team.

"I do think overall, when we look at the picture, we talk about him, there’s a lot of good reasons to stay at Mercedes," Brundle told Sky Sports F1.

"They just need to tell him how they’re going to sort this out.

"But Senna left McLaren to go to Williams, Schumacher went off to Ferrari, it took a long time but [he] made that work.

"These great drivers are not scared of going somewhere and then galvanising and getting a lot of new people around them and making something happen."

Read also: Wolff insists Mercedes 'sticking together' amid Hamilton frustrations

Assuming that Hamilton will at some point consider a move away from Mercedes, Ferrari would appear as the Briton's only viable option.

Hamilton has never hidden his life-long infatuation with the Italian outfit.

"For everyone that's a dream position to be in," he said last year. "It was just never really fully on the cards for me.

"I'll never know fully exactly why, but I wish them all the best and I'm going to spend the next bit of my time stopping them from winning the championship."

Brundle believes that given the current state of Mercedes' affairs, the thought of passing through the golden gates of Maranello will creep into Hamilton's mind.

"There must be a part of Lewis that goes ‘I’d love to go to Ferrari, do a Michael Schumacher and really turn that back into [a championship-winning team]," said the former F1 driver.

"If I can’t win my eighth or ninth now, why don’t I go have some fun there?’

"I’m sure these are all playing in his mind and he’ll be talking to his dad about this and his management team about ‘where do we go from here?’

"That will be exacerbated by the dismal performance in Bahrain of the car."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.