A statement from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton caused a stir after the Formula 1 race in Brazil. The record world champion fueled speculation about an early retirement with a radio message. It is now clear what exactly was behind it.
Mercedes fans can breathe a sigh of relief: Lewis Hamilton will not end his career with the Silver Arrows prematurely and will also contest the last three races of the 2024 Formula 1 season for his current employer.
Doubts about this briefly arose in Brazil. Hamilton expressed his emotions on the radio after a difficult weekend, saying: “If it was the last time I perform, it would be a shame that it wasn’t great. But I’m still grateful to all of you.”
Why Lewis Hamilton said goodbye on the radio
What could and was understood as an announcement of resignation was in reality just farewell words to parts of the Mercedes pit crew. This is reported by the “RacingNews365” portal.
The background: Due to the mammoth calendar with 24 races, Mercedes has introduced employee rotation. Many mechanics who were still in the pits in Brazil returned home after the race and will not be returning this season. The seven-time world champion said goodbye to them. A different crew is available for the races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes denies Hamilton’s farewell
Mercedes already denied on Tuesday that the racing team would possibly swap Hamilton for his successor Kimi Antonelli. Speaking to the press agency “PA”, the team relegated these rumors to the realm of fables.
Next season, the Brit will compete for Ferrari for the first time in his career. His move to Scuderia triggered a real Formula 1 earthquake at the beginning of the year and caused numerous speculations about his possible successor.
Source: www.sport.de
