A distressing reality is inching closer day by day. As things stand, a glorious era is on the verge of its demise. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes forged a dynasty alongside each other in Formula 1. In 2013, at the dawn of the turbo-hybrid era, the two eventual goliaths joined forces. 10 years and a combined 14 titles later, the duo of Hamilton and the Silver Arrows has become synonymous with this sport. But as they say, everything must come to an end.

The latest update about Hamilton’s soon-expiring contract is that a $54,000,000 deal has been agreed to. However, the entire relationship is on the brink of collapse. After Mercedes denied the Brit’s 10-year-long ambassadorial role suggestion, Hamilton is now adamant that he does not want to tie himself up to the team’s sponsors for any longer than the 2 years he’s reportedly being offered. With only 9 races to go before his Mercedes career comes to an end, what will happen if Hamilton and Toto Wolff can’t bring themselves to sign the dotted line after all?

Lewis Hamilton weighs up his options

First things first, if Hamilton does decide to leave Mercedes, a driver of his stature won’t join a midfield team. That being said, the doors to Red Bull had already been shut emphatically by Christian Horner when he told Sky, “I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.” Anyway, as long as Max Verstappen is with the Bulls, they’d do well to avoid a Senna-Prost re-run.

What’s more? The 7x champion then himself shut out another worthwhile opportunity for himself as he hoped to strike a deal with Mercedes. When Ferrari president John Elkann phoned the Brit personally to offer him a seat for 2024, Hamilton bluntly replied, “No thanks,” according to veteran Italian journalist, Leo Turrini. Haste and an unwavering belief in Wolff may have gotten the better of the Brit this time.

Then, is this really the end of the road for Hamilton if he fails to agree on a deal with the Brackley-based team?

Read More: “Got Ripped Off”: Lewis Hamilton Narrates Horrific Near Death Experience With Surfing Legend Kelly Slater

Is Hamilton on the verge of making a sensational F1 switch?

One thing is for sure, Lewis Hamilton will be driving in Formula 1 next year. But the biggest question still remains: for whom? It’s crazy to think of Hamilton in any other color than the Silver Arrows’ newly adopted black. But if the lawyers mess up, Hamilton could be in for a massive change!

With news that Lance Stroll is planning to give the sport up completely for Tennis coming our way, Lawrence Stroll will surely be looking to bolster his ranks with a 2nd world champion alongside Fernando Alonso. He’s got the pocket for it, too. And with that seat usurped by Stroll Jr., now potentially free, can Hamilton re-run the glory days and reunite with his ex-McLaren teammate?

When the Spaniard was quizzed on these lines, he told the Daily Mail, “It would be nice to end our careers together, I would love that.” With both Alonso and Hamilton potentially nearing the end of their careers, who knows? Maybe a pang of nostalgia would serve all F1 fans with one last, glorious hurray?

Speaking of McLaren and reunions, Lando Norris seems to be inching ever so closer to that elusive Red Bull seat, too. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit want the 23-year-old and if they can poach him from under Zak Brown’s nose, Hamilton could very well do the colloquial full circle in F1 and end his career where it all started.

Can the 2023 F1 silly season really produce the holy grail of driver switches that sees Lewis Hamilton finally leave Mercedes?

WATCH THIS STORY | Clouded Future: $54M Deal in Doubt as Hurdle Hits Hamilton’s Mercedes Contract