Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton just put a damper on the upcoming silly season. The Briton believes things at the top 3 teams will remain unchanged heading into 2021 and beyond.
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Lewis Hamilton predicts a boring silly season
Lewis Hamilton will be out of contract at the end of 2020 and his future with the team is up in the air. Mercedes are yet to announce a decision regarding Hamilton’s contract and future with the team. However, news from the rumour mill suggests the Brackley based outfit will most likely extend the Briton’s contract.
Hamilton was briefly linked to a seat at Ferrari, but the latter has denied this. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto recently revealed that the team wasn’t prioritizing Hamilton, but Vettel instead. With Red Bull and Ferrari committing to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, the Brit only has one realistic option.
Hamilton’s prediction does make sense, considering that Red Bull and Ferrari are in the long haul with their respective drivers. However, Hamilton believes things could get interesting in the midfield teams. Several high-profile drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Kimi Raikkonen will be out of contract at the end of the upcoming season.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said:
“In the top teams, there isn’t going to be a lot of movement, most likely. In the ones cascading down I’m not too sure what everyone’s contracts are – but I don’t think there’s going to be a huge amount of movement,”
“I think just get used to what’s similar at the moment. I don’t know what Seb’s plan is for the future”.
Hamilton thankful for his time at Mercedes
Hamilton also had positive remarks to make regarding the team at the W11 launch. The Briton felt privileged to be a part of Mercedes and hoped to contribute even more in the years to come.
With 12 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships, Mercedes would be eager to continue their phenomenal run in F1, with Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.
“We have the biggest sponsors, we’ve been winning the most championships and we’ve won the most races. I don’t think there’s a single bad thing about it.”
“It’s a real privilege to be wanted to stay and be part of a great team. That’s a great feeling. I hope I can continue to contribute.”
It will be interesting to see what the F1 crystal ball holds for the future.
