Lewis Hamilton ‘will be questioning Mercedes future’ amid Ferrari and Red Bull gap

Mercedes: What’s gone wrong at the F1 and can they recover?

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Lewis Hamilton ‘will be questioning’ whether he wants to stay with Mercedes after their shocking start to the season, according to Ted Kravitz. He claimed Hamilton will be unsure whether he wants to hang around in a car which will only be a ‘midfield runner’ this season.

However, he declared the seven-time champion likes a fight and wants to rid the ‘injustices’ of losing out on the crown last season which could encourage him to stay.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said: “Lewis Hamilton always wants to have a fight for something to be perfect for. Whether it’s something off track or something on it.

“He always needs to have a fight on his hands in order to motivate himself, he’s always at his best when he’s fighting against something. But this is the ultimate fight, having a car that even if he does galvanise himself and the team, he is only capable of being a midfield runner.

“That is not the situation that Mercedes are used to. He’ll be questioning his future within the team as to whether he wants to hang around for that.

“Bearing in mind he also wants justice for what he feels are the injustices of Abu Dhabi 2021 so that would be a reason to stay long term.” Kravitz even claimed this season ‘could be’ the first year Mercedes and Hamilton do not win a race after their poor start to the season.

Mercedes’ problems appeared to be getting worse in Imola with the team’s third-fastest car status in doubt. Both drivers failed to get into the Q3 shootout on Friday with Hamilton going backwards in yesterday’s sprint race.

It’s not the first time Hamilton’s future has been questioned with Martin Brundle claiming he could quit if his Mercedes car was not competitive.

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After the first race in Bahrain, Brundle said: “If he goes through the whole year and Mercedes are third fastest and others are catching them up, then I suspect he’ll take a different view and my enjoyment analogy will play out in that he won’t be enjoying it anymore.” Tensions rose at Mercedes on Friday after Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff were spotted in heated discussions.

Despite the apparent spat, Hamilton committed his future to the team on Saturday despite Mercedes’ poor form in Imola.

He said: “We have had amazing times together, highs and lows together, and I am 100 per cent committed to this team and there is nowhere else I want to be. Just because we have hit a rough patch, it is not in my DNA to pack up. We are still world champions and we can fix this. It is just going to take longer.

“It will be a painful year that we have to ride out together. Hopefully, we can rectify it at some point in the year, or worst-case scenario, by next year.”

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