The 7x World Champion from Stevenage, Lewis Hamilton has achieved everything an F1 driver can achieve. Widely recognized as the best, Hamilton needs just one more factor to prove his point statistically. He requires one more WDC title to break racing legend, Michael Schumacher’s record for most WDC titles.
"This is the one I remember the most" 😅
A trip down memory lane for Lewis and George as they talk through the highs and lows of F1 2022 💜💙
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 24, 2022
In a recent interview, Lewis Hamilton told The Independent “I’m not in a relationship, don’t have kids, my car is my baby”. With his contract with Mercedes expiring by the end of the 2023 season, his priority at this point is to acquire a multi-year contract with the German carmakers.
Issues in the 2022 season
The W13 faced problems with aerodynamics throughout the 2022 season, giving him the worst season in his career, often trailing behind his teammate, George Russell. In the 2021 season, Hamilton’s domination came to an end at the Abu Dhabi GP, where Nicholas Latifi’s crash and a chain of events caused him to concede his lead to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton acknowledges the fact that a few have called his 2022 season the ‘beginning of the end.’
Lewis Hamilton finished the 2022 season in 6th place with zero wins, 9 podiums, and 240 points.
The 38-year-old driver for Mercedes is not the most commercially successful F1 driver only due to his driving, he is an incredibly marketable personality. According to Forbes, he ranks 18th on the list of the highest-paid athletes list and 40th on the popular celebrities list.
He is an active philanthropist and has diversified interests. His personal life has included a few well-established names but for now, we know we know that the British driver is single, and he looks forward to the 2023 season.
Lewis Hamilton on the 2023 season
Hamilton told F1 “But there has never been a driver like me”, showing his mood for the 2023 season.
“If we perform in the way we hope, then we’d like to be part of the racing at the very front,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Red Bull have been handed a $7million fine and restrictions on car development time for breaching last season's Formula 1 cost cap.pic.twitter.com/yowddluo35
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 28, 2022
However, it might be easier for Mercedes to catch up with the champions since Red Bull has been given a penalty of a decrease in wind tunnel time by 10% for breaching the cost cap last year.
“But we obviously have a championship we need to get back. I love the mission and that challenge with my team.” the Mercedes driver said.
Moreover, pre-season testing in Bahrain on the 24th of February, and hopefully, it will gauge Mercedes’ competitiveness in the 2023 season. The Mercedes W14 is to be revealed on the 15th of February 2023 and both British drivers hope to get a car that is up to the standards of last year’s winners and runners-up, Red Bull and Ferrari respectively.