Hamilton hints he will be in F1 in 2022

« I plan to attend next year ". It's an innocuous sentence slipped into a rather banal response during a very traditional media day in Portimão (Portugal) but it was enough to warm the hearts of fans of Lewis Hamilton. And perhaps to worry his rivals. 

After lengthy contractual negotiations with Mercedes last year, the seven-time world champion ended up returning at the start of 2021 but only for the current campaign, thus leaving doubt as to the continuation of his illustrious career, already rich in 96 victories and 99 pole positions. 

Will he still be present on the grid when the aerodynamic revolution planned for 2022 is introduced? Hamilton was able to get a first glimpse of one aspect of the new rules by testing the 18-inch Pirelli tires in Imola (Italy) following the last Emilia-Romagna GP. And his initial feelings were obviously likely to convince him to prolong the adventure. 

« First of all, you should know that I'm really not the type of driver to volunteer to test; I think it was the first time I did it and I immediately regretted it when I had to get up early on the day of the test, declared the Briton in a joking tone. I said to myself : “Damn!” » (laughs) but actually I had a great day. The track is great for this type of riding and the weather was good. I plan to be there next year and I want to help Pirelli build a better product. 

All drivers want the same thing, which is more performance, so it was important for me to gauge the starting point and see where I can make a contribution, so that we have more mechanical grip, less degradation, etc. It was a productive test. It was only a first step with these rubbers but we are starting from a suitable base ».

Keen to avoid repeating last year's scenario, Hamilton and Mercedes plan to begin discussions about their joint future much earlier this season.