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Former F1 world champion Damon Hill has urged Lewis Hamilton to make it clear to Mercedes that he won't stick around if things don't change.
Mercedes are looking at another disappointing season in F1, as their car appears to be struggling in terms of performance. Hamilton finished the first race of the season in P5 and was never in contention for the podium. This resulted in the driver claiming that the team did not listen to his input during the car design phase.
Talking about Lewis Hamilton's future as he negotiates an extension on his current contract, Damon Hill said in a segment on Sky Sports:
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"Yes, it’s been quite interesting after Lewis’ comments. We’ve heard a lot from Mercedes about how they have a no-blame culture.
"But with Lewis mentioning that he’s not being listened to, I think there’s been a little bit of to-ing and fro-ing with the public statement by Mercedes to their fans saying, ‘Stick with us, you know, we’re going to come good, but we’re not going to give up,’ and it’s been a lot of kind of refocusing or trying to bolster support and faith in the team."
He added:
“So I expect in the press conference that Lewis will be asked to make himself a little bit clearer. Of course, he’s got his contract negotiations coming up, but he has to say these things, he has to make it clear that he’s not going to stick around if things don’t change and improve."
Could Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes?
Lewis Hamilton has a tendency to pull a rabbit out of the hat when it comes to switching teams. He did the same with McLaren in 2012 when he decided to move to Mercedes.
Could he do the same thing now? It's hard to know, but the question is where he would be willing to go. Aston Martin are a team on the rise, but they are still a work in progress. Ferrari are also an interesting choice, but in all fairness, they look to be in worse shape than Mercedes.
Only time will tell what decision Hamilton ultimately makes.
