For Martin Brundle, Lewis Hamilton could be tempted to leave Mercedes

And if Hamilton were to leave Mercedes? This prospect may seem surprising considering how closely linked the driver and his team are. But given the recent difficulties encountered by the team, the British driver could be tempted to make a departure, as former driver Martin Brundle believes.

Lately, Mercedes has been going through a turbulent period in its glorious history. After the race in Bahrain, the German team realized the work that still needs to be done to reach the top again.

Recently, Lewis Hamilton complained about not being listened to by the team regarding the development of the 2023 car. As his contract expires at the end of the season, the British driver has yet to extend his deal with the German team, despite expressing his desire to continue with the Brackley-based team.

Quoted on Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle believes that the Briton will stay even though the idea of leaving might tempt him and imitate certain legends. « There are many good reasons to stay at Mercedes, he just needs them to tell him how they’re going to sort it out, but you know, Senna left McLaren to go to Williams, Schumacher left for Ferrari, right? », ponders Brundle.

Hamilton’s goal is to win an eighth world crown and thus become the greatest in his field. “I think it is absolutely clear that winning this eighth title is everything to him now,” says Brundle. “Being considered the best and having one more than anyone else is important to him, and I think he will want to drive wherever he can achieve that,” the Briton believes.

Leaving, but where to go?

If Lewis Hamilton were to leave Mercedes, the question of his destination would arise. According to Martin Brundle, his choices would be limited: Red Bull is currently the only car capable of winning and Ferrari would be facing internal problems. A possible arrival at Red Bull would be surprising and raise questions. Would he join Red Bull? Could we have a Verstappen-Hamilton pair? Could we afford them? Do we need them? wonders the former F1 driver.

Another hypothesis: Ferrari. Even though the Briton has often expressed his dream of driving for Ferrari one day, this solution is not to be considered for Brundle at the moment: “If he were to go to Ferrari, would you be certain of being able to do better there? They have a number of challenges to overcome at the moment,” he says. According to the Sky Sport consultant, the best solution is to stay at Mercedes for now and work on improving the car. “It’s all well and good to say he will go elsewhere, but where for now? It’s better to make what he has work in a magnificent team.”