Lewis Hamilton undecided about his future

“I don’t even know if I’ll be here next year, so that’s not really on my mind right now! » If the sentence relating to the presence or not of the Austrian manager at the head of the team Mercedes next year did not have the effect of a bomb, it nonetheless shook the little world of the F1 Sunday night.

The English were dismayed, and the rest of the world a little stunned. On the evening of his 92nd victory at Portimao, it is a Lewis Hamilton wound like a clock that had evoked the future and, a week later, on the evening of a new triumph, the spring was broken!

“Toto and I have a lot of deep conversations, so I'm very aware of his questions, he continued. We share much of the weight we carry with each other. I've also been here for a very long time and I can certainly understand a desire to take a step back and spend more time with family, that sort of thing. »

A short, heavy silence followed, which was broken by the question of a British colleague: “Is there really a chance you won’t be here in F1 next year? » New silence.
 
“It’s November, and it’s crazy, Christmas isn’t that far away, Hamilton finally replied. Naturally, I feel great, I still feel very strong, I think I can continue for months.

But you mentioned Toto and the “shelf life” of a job like his. There are several things that I keep in mind. I would like to be there next year, but there are no guarantees that this will be the case, that's for sure. There are many things that excite me about life outside. The future will tell us what will happen. »

Will the Briton’s new contract finally be the formality it was supposed to be? As he explains, Toto wolff sees more fatigue in his pilot's questions than real weariness. He doubts he will turn away.

“Right now it’s about emotions, concluded the Austrian manager on Sunday. Tonight we are all very happy but also very tired! » Let's then count on a little less good performance from the soon to be seven-time world champion.

Discover the full report and analysis of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondent in Imola, in issue 2285 of AUTOhebdo, available this evening in digital version and this Wednesday on newsstands.