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Lewis Hamilton feels that taking a sabbatical or retirement from F1 and then coming back is an incredible hole that legends can fall into.
The legendary driver is getting closer to 40 years of age and in the last couple of years, he's not had the best car under him. As a result, he's not fought for the title since 2021.
Due to all of this, doubts have continued to mount over whether Hamilton will even continue to race in F1, where he has been a constant presence since his debut in 2007. However, he quelled some of those questions when he signed an extension with Mercedes that takes him to the end of the 2025 season.
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In a recent conversation with Dutch outlet Formule 1, Lewis Hamilton discussed the topic of sabbaticals and F1 legends coming back. He was questioned if he was surprised when he heard Sebastian Vettel had expressed interest in returning to the sport after retiring in 2022.
The Mercedes driver said that this did not surprise him much as quite a few legends had done the same in the past.
“It didn't surprise me, because you see it more often with retired drivers. Fernando Alonso came back, Michael Schumacher too,” Lewis Hamilton said (as quoted by Sports Mole).
“I have also seen it with athletes from other sports and have spoken to a few about it. They said, 'You're losing something you've done all your life. Suddenly it's gone.' Then you can miss it and I can imagine that it is an incredible hole to fall into.”
A brief look at F1 legends who returned to the sport after announcing their retirement
As Lewis Hamilton mentioned, multiple drivers have retired from F1 and then come back to achieve success as well in the past.
Niki Lauda and Alain Prost are famous examples of drivers who retired from the sport only to come back and win the title again. Michael Schumacher retired from the sport in 2006 after a successful stint with Ferrari. However, he returned to the sport in 2010 for a second stint until 2012.
On the current F1 grid, Fernando Alonso also fits the criteria as the Spaniard left the sport after 2018. He took part in Endurance racing, won the championship there, and then returned to F1 in 2021.
Sebastian Vettel is the latest on the list of legends who left the sport and are courting a return as well.
