Lewis Hamilton does not have options outside of Mercedes even if he wants to go somewhere else, says his former teammate Jenson Button.
Hamilton's contract is a talking point that has been simmering for a while. It started last season when the Mercedes driver expressed interest in signing an extension. With no official confirmation, the Mercedes driver's future continues to be a hot topic.
Button, though, does not see his compatriot going anywhere, telling Sky 1:
“Well, he’s loyal, but I also don’t think he’s got the options that he would want. I don’t really think he would have the option at Red Bull – I don’t think he would be the right fit alongside Max (Verstappen). I don’t think he’d be at Ferrari. Aston Martin? Definitely won’t be going to Aston Martin, they’ve got two seats that are going to be filled there for a little while.”
He added:
“I think his future will be at Mercedes, but he is also a loyal character, and it’s good to see him going through some tough times with that team. I think they will come out the other side together. You know, it’s a rollercoaster in Formula 1, especially when you’ve been on top for that long, there’s going to be a dip. But if you can stay with that team, they will rise to the top again, and he’s not going to retire.”
What Lewis Hamilton says about his future?
During the 2023 Miami GP weekend, Lewis Hamilton said that he wanted to continue with Mercedes and that the extension is only a matter of time. He told ESPN:
“I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I’m not at the end of my career. I’m not in the downhill slope of my career. I’m in my prime. It all depends on how hard I want to work and keep myself in my prime, in terms of physical and mental capability. Right now, I don’t plan on changing, I only plan on adding to the drive and the motivation and to being better. I’m massively driven.”
It will be interesting to see if Lewis Hamilton moves to another team, something he did in 2012 when he moved from McLaren to Mercedes.