F1 news LIVE: Mercedes wait on Lewis Hamilton decision with Carlos Sainz tipped to become ‘top-tier driver’

Lewis Hamilton’s future continues to dominant the world of Formula 1 ahead of the upcoming 2022 season.

Hamilton’s 2021 campaign ended in drama and contention as Max Verstappen snatched away the world championship on the final lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi, leading to speculation over whether Hamilton may decide to call time on his storied career rather than continue to chase a record eighth world title. However, a cryptic tweet by Mercedes on the weekend, featuring a picture of Hamilton alongside the message “Adversity causes some to break; others to break records” hinted he would be back for more.

The new season gets under way on 20 March at the Bahrain Grand Prix. This time Hamilton will be joined by a new teammate. Valtteri Bottas is moving on to Alfa Romeo and young talent George Russell is taking up his empty Mercedes seat. Red Bull’s lineup of Verstappen and Sergio Perez is set to stay the same, while Ferrari and McLaren will stick with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz respectively.

Follow all the latest F1 news below.

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Aston Martin announce departure of team boss Szafnauer

Aston Martin have announced the shock departure of team boss Otmar Szafnauer.

In a statement, Aston Martin said: “Otmar Szafnauer has left the company and his role at Aston Martin will be managed within the leadership team until a replacement is appointed.

“We would like to thank him for the service provided to the team over the past 12 years and wish him well for the future as he will undoubtedly take on new challenges.

“Fortunately, we are led and managed by a strong group of individuals, and we are comfortable to take a little time to explore options before announcing a new team structure.

“The focus of the team is currently on preparing the most competitive car possible for the start of the 2022 season.”

While Szafnauer has not announced his next move, he denied reports last season linking him with Alpine.

Carlos Sainz tipped to become ‘top-tier driver'

Ex-F1 racer Jolyon Palmer has highlighted Carlos Sainz as a potential star moving forward.

Sainz finished P6 in the both his seasons with McLaren in the 2019 and 2020 Drivers’ Championships, before linking up with Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc.

After four podium finishes helped him land P5 in the standings, Sainz has elevated himself from understudy to equal with Leclerc and now has the potential to go beyond.

“A tough call for most-improved given Sainz has been in the top six in the standings for the last three years now,” Palmer told the F1 website. “On the face of it, the fact that Sainz and Norris would both jump out as improved drivers this year demonstrates that they were probably underrated as McLaren team-mates, at least by me.

“But I do think Sainz has stepped up at Ferrari wonderfully, with the culmination being his podium in Abu Dhabi to take him to ‘best of the rest’ in the standings, and become the first driver to outscore Charles Leclerc as a team-mate in any car racing series.

“Like many drivers who changed teams, he started slowly, but finished fast and improved well throughout 2021 as well. When Ferrari signed him early in 2020, it seemed he would be a great second fiddle to Leclerc, but perhaps they might just be re-evaluating that assessment now. I think this year he has shown the potential to be an absolute top tier driver.”

F1 news

Lewis Hamilton’s future continues to dominant the world of Formula 1 ahead of the upcoming 2022 season.

Hamilton’s 2021 campaign ended in drama and contention as Max Verstappen snatched away the world championship on the final lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi, leading to speculation over whether Hamilton may decide to call time on his storied career rather than continue to chase a record eighth world title. However, a cryptic tweet by Mercedes on the weekend, featuring a picture of Hamilton alongside the message “Adversity causes some to break; others to break records” hinted he would be back for more.

The new season gets under way on 20 March at the Bahrain Grand Prix. This time Hamilton will be joined by a new teammate. Valtteri Bottas is moving on to Alfa Romeo and young talent George Russell is taking up his empty Mercedes seat. Red Bull’s lineup of Verstappen and Sergio Perez is set to stay the same, while Ferrari and McLaren will stick with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz respectively.

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