Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton finished the 2019 season in style with victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton’s 11th win of the year means the Mercedes driver ends the campaign with 413 points from the 21 races.
While the British ace was celebrating another title win, the sixth of his career, much of the talk in F1 has been about the 34-year-old’s future in the sport.
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Ferrari meetings
After seven years with Mercedes Hamilton has one year left on his contract. The Guardian reports “speculation has been rife” that he could see out his career with Ferrari.
It has been revealed by Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that Hamilton has already met twice with Ferrari chairman John Elkann in 2019. The driver has not denied the meetings and admits he is considering how he will finish his time in the sport.
“Naturally, everything that happens behind closed doors is always private with whoever you end up sitting with,” he said.
“For many years I have never ever sat down and considered other options because we have been driving straight ahead on to the path and journey we have been on.
“We are still on that path and there is very little that is going to shift that. I love where I am so it is definitely not a quick decision to do something else.
“But it is only smart and wise for me to sit and think of what I want if it is the last stage of my career. I want to keep winning. I cannot tell you what is going to happen moving forward.”
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75% chance Hamilton could stay
Mercedes principal Toto Wolff admits there’s a 75% chance that his star driver may stay with the team.
When asked if Hamilton could re-sign with the Silver Arrows, Wolff said: “I would rate it at 75%. I hope that our relationship continues but there is a 25% chance we are not in control of. A sports team is not static. It is dynamic. That means there is always going to be change.”
Too early for any decision
The latest “Hamilton to Ferrari” rumours started on Saturday when Gazzetta dello Sport ran a story that Ferrari have attempted to “chat up” the six-time world champion.
Sebastian Vettel’s future with the Italians is uncertain with Charles Leclerc likely to be the team’s No.1 driver next season. The reports suggest that Hamilton could replace Vettel for 2021.
When asked about Hamilton, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said in Abu Dhabi on Friday: “Lewis is certainly an outstanding driver, a fantastic driver. Knowing that he’s available in 2021 can make us only happy, but honestly it’s too early for any decision.
“We are happy with the drivers we’ve got at the moment and I think certainly at one stage next season we will start discussing and understanding what to do.”
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