“Justice for Abu Dhabi” theory touted for Lewis Hamilton’s motivation to sign new Mercedes F1 deal
Hamilton’s new contract with Mercedes runs until the end o🎉f 2025 when he will be 40, giving him two more chances to win an all-time record eighth F1 championship.
That accolade was denied to him at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when race director Michael Masi’s infamous interpretation of the Saf🔜ety Car rule result꧅ed in Hamilton being overtaken by Max Verstappen, to usher in his own era of dominance.
Kravitz debated Hamilton’s reasons for staying: “🐈The speed is okay, Lewis says - ‘I’ve still got the speed, I’ve still got the motivation’.
“🍰So the only question is ‘do I believe in the team?’
“Hamilton is old e🌳nough and rich enough to do exactly what he wants with his life.
“He doesn’t have to stay around and ✃do motor racing. But he loves doing it so much, and he believes in Mercedes so much, that he’s chosen to do that. Yes I’m sure he gets paid for his services! But he’s the GOAT and is looking for that deceptive eighth championship.
“Is this the cꦓontract which will get Hami🅷lton his eighth world championship?
“Well, Lewis🅘 certainly says that’s what he’s looking for. Actually Lewis a𝓀lso says he’s looking for a ninth championship. Plural! And, he said, he’s also looking at the next contract after this one.
“So maybe this won’t be the last 🌟contract he signღs even though he’ll be in his 40s when it ends.
“He said that he never thought he’d 🦂still be in Formula 1 in his✤ 40s but things change. Indeed, he will be.
“That’s ༺the long and short of it, really, that’𒉰s all you need to know…
“Listen, justice for Abu 𓆉Dhabi 2021. I know a lot of you will be thinking 💝that. It keeps Lewis in the game.
“He’s never going to say. He might think it. Toto Wolff might think it. Mercedes might think iಌt. Lewis fans might think it. Formula 1 fans, who aren’t Lewis fans necessarily but know about the events of Abu Dhabi 2021, might think it.
“But Lewis ♛isn’t saying that he’s still looking for the world championship that was denied to him by the FIA mistake in Abu Dhabi in 2021.”
Since that notorious moment, Verstappen dominated the 2022 season aꦏnd is now set to rack up a third consecutive F▨1 championship, and he’s on a record-breaking winning streak of 10 grands prix.
Hamilton has declared his faith in Mercedes that they can wrestle back control of 🦋F1 from Red Bull.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to footꦯball, to 🌄F1.
