‘He wants to turn things around for Mercedes’: Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate insists the seven-time champion is committed to the Silver Arrows and will avoid a move to Ferrari, despite the constructor’s recent struggles.
- Lewis Hamilton has been linked to a move away from Mercedes to race
- However, former teammate Heikki Kovalainen thinks he will stay.
- Hamilton was thought to be eyeing Ferrari in pursuit of an eighth title
Lewis Hamilton has been backed to end his F1 career with Mercedes by a former teammate.
Hamilton, 38, has won seven world titles to date, and an eighth would put him ahead of Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the sport’s history.
But Mercedes has struggled to compete with the dominance of Red Bull and Max Verstappen in recent seasons, prompting rumors that Hamilton would go to Ferrari or another team.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he would not stand in the Briton’s way if he decided to leave the team in pursuit of the record.
Heikki Kovalainen, who was Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes in 2008 and 2009, believes the British driver is determined to fix his current manufacturer’s problems, rather than racing to find another home.
Lewis Hamilton has been backed to remain at Mercedes to try to reverse his woes.
Heikki Kovalianen (R) and Hamilton were teammates in 2008 and 2009
When asked about the possibility of moving, Kovalainen told Mirror Sport: “Personally, I don’t see it coming, for me, he is committed to Mercedes.
The Finn added that a private conversation in Hungary last year was revealing about Hamilton’s future plans. He said: ‘The body language and the feeling I got from him, I felt like this is something he wants to change.
“He wants to turn things around for Mercedes and that’s going to tick another box on his resume – to show that not only has he been driving good cars and getting the most out of good cars, but he can really turn a struggling team around.” turn around and lead that team.
Kovalainen backs Hamilton to have ‘the skill and the will’ to turn Mercedes into winners despite their difficulties. The Finn said: ‘It’s going to be exciting to watch.’
Before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, Hamilton confirmed that he had parted ways with his coach Angela Cullen after seven years together.
Verstappen won the opening race of the season two weeks ago in Bahrain, leading a one-two from Red Bull to reassert his dominance on the track. Hamilton finished in fifth place, more than 50 seconds off the pace.