The past few months have been riddled with uncertainty for every Lewis Hamilton fan out there. Will he or won’t he extend his time in Formula 1? Is Mercedes the team he chooses, or will Hamilton make a shock move out of Brackley? As uncertain as the time leading up to the official announcement of his contract extension was, nothing could compare to the level of petrification every member of the LH Army went through when their hero went into radio silence after the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.

The events that transpired that night robbed Hamilton of his eighth world championship and left him in a dark place. People started questioning his willingness to continue racing. Almost two years after that fateful night that saw Max Verstappen crowned champion, Hamilton seems to have buried the past. 

The past is of no consequence to Lewis Hamilton

With less than 10 laps to go and Hamilton leading with a 10-second gap, the Brit’s eighth title was all but sealed. As he was inching ever-so-closer to making history, the tides turned, and Verstappen came out on top. As Hamilton’s hope died that night, so did Mercedes’ fight for the next couple of seasons. This was because the Brackley squad just couldn’t get the 2022 regulations right. While they were struggling, Red Bull gained on the momentum it built and has dominated the sport since. 

There’s no doubt the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP still haunts Hamilton. But as he announced his new contract with Mercedes, vowing to return to winning ways, he revealed he’d let Verstappen off the hook for 2021.

Discussing his new contract at Monza, Hamilton refused to acknowledge his controversial 2021 defeat to Max Verstappen as a key motivator. “I’m not really a revenge person. It’s not about revenge,” he said, according to a YouTube video by The Race.

Read More: “Still Hate Losing”: 38 YO Hamilton Makes Huge Sacrifice to Unleash His Competitive Beast at Max Verstappen & Co.

The narrator added, “Instead, Hamilton pointed out key observations he’s made behind the scenes at Mercedes, mentioning recalled Technical Director James Allison by name and claiming the team is now ‘engaging better than ever before about where we are, the mistakes we made, why we’ve made those decisions, and why we won’t make them again.’”

It’s evident Mercedes has been making improvements to close the gap to Red Bull. That’s its ultimate goal for now. Even though Verstappen has been let off the hook for what transpired in Abu Dhabi in 2021, that doesn’t mean he’s been let off the hook altogether.

Hamilton believes Mercedes is the team to beat Red Bull and Verstappen

A few weeks ago, Hamilton sided with Charles Leclerc, saying that he feels Red Bull’s domination could continue until the next regulation changes in 2026. That entails at least another two years of Verstappen leading the pack.

But in a shocking turn of events, Hamilton said he truly believed if not next year, then the year after, Mercedes would be ready to challenge for titles again. Considering what he revealed is happening behind the scenes at Mercedes, this could be a real possibility. To add to this, the seven-time champion even sent warnings toward the reigning champion.

Discussing his contract during the drivers’ press conference at Monza, Hamilton revealed he had unfinished business with Mercedes. This came after his statement to Mercedes, saying, “Our story isn’t finished.”

When asked what he meant by “unfinished business,” the Brit explained, “We’re trying to win more championships. I think the unfinished business is getting us back to the top. It’s getting back and fighting for the world championships. I think, yeah, getting us back to where we belong and operate on all those cylinders, which you’re seeing Red Bull do.”

It’s clear Hamilton and Mercedes have no intention of giving up before they achieve everything they want together, including that elusive eighth world title for Hamilton.

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Will the prophecy Lewis Hamilton made about Mercedes returning to the front by 2025 hold true?