3 reasons why Mercedes should drop Lewis Hamilton for F1 2022 season

After Lewis Hamilton lost the title showdown in Abu Dhabi, rumors abounded of him not racing anymore in Formula 1. Although those rumors have subsided, they did give birth to a curious circumstance where Mercedes might have to think about the possibility of racing sans Hamilton.

Interestingly, the possibility did not look that bad, for getting rid of Hamilton might just be an option for Mercedes. In this piece, let's have a look at the reasons why Mercedes should drop Lewis Hamilton for the 2022 season.

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3 reasons why Mercedes should drop Lewis Hamilton for F1 2022 season

Max Verstappen was better than him this season

If you're supposed to contest for the title with arguably the best team on the grid, then you're supposed to be the best driver on the grid as well. Lewis Hamilton, despite running Max Verstappen close in the later stages of the season, did not perform at the level of the Red Bull driver.

The 2021 F1 campaign constituted multiple errors from Hamilton. When compared to the level at which Verstappen performed, it was just not the same.

If you factor that in and add to it the fact that at 24 years of age, Max Verstappen is only going to learn and get better, Mercedes have a task at hand. It puts the Brackley-based team in a tough spot if they want to pit the aged warrior in Hamilton against the young lion in Verstappen.

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He's not getting any younger

A key aspect of any sport that does sometimes go unnoticed is the fact that no one beats time. Everyone gets old, everyone loses their abilities, and sadly, the world moves on.

Lewis Hamilton, overall, might be a better driver than he was at 24 years old. But he's no longer as fast as he was then. If Max Verstappen's 24-year-old version can beat him, one can't expect a year older version of Lewis Hamilton, even further from his prime, to challenge Verstappen.

Hamilton seems to be in the last leg of his career and, in all likelihood, he is not at the peak of his powers. If he can't beat Verstappen in a comparatively quicker car, it won't bode well for him in the future.

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Mercedes might be getting a much cheaper deal with George Russell

George Russell might just be the future at Mercedes

At some point in time Mercedes will need to sit down and look to the future. A future in which the team does not have Lewis Hamilton driving for them. It is at this point where they need to figure out who will be their next lead driver.

George Russell has signed up to do that very job, and even though he's yet to prove himself in a Mercedes, the young Brit does appear to be the real deal. Moreover, Mercedes has access to Russell's services at a rather cheaper price than Hamilton.

In the world of budget caps, at one point or the other, the salary that Hamilton commands will surely be discussed. That is when Russell, a cheaper and younger option, could see the votes tilt in his favor. While Hamilton is a resource, with his price tag, he could be deemed a liability.

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