Coulthard: Hamilton has to be certain he is ready to stop F1

Amid the worst spell in his illustrious career, devoid of wins since 2021, Hamilton is also on the doorstep of what is likely to be his final F1 driving contract, in all likelihood a long-term deal that will include driving until he has had enough and an ambassadorial role with Mercedes.

The German marque has powered the 38-year-old Englishman in all of his 322 Grand Prix starts, all his 103 ins are with Mercedes, as are his seven F1 titles. Hence no surprise that former F1 driver turned pundit, David Coulthard does not see the Englishman destroying that connection and indeed, the legacy of the partnership that began well before Hamilton burst into F1.

"I don’t think there is any realistic chance that Lewis will leave Mercedes unless there is a major fallout. And I can’t see that happening," insisted Coulthard in an interview with the Irish Times. "Who would the major fallout be with? Even if it was with Toto, Lewis’ relationship with Mercedes’ parent company Daimler is much longer than Toto’s emergence as team principal of Mercedes."

The longevity of F1 drivers has taken a turn in recent years, with the likes of Fernando Alonso showing fine form as the oldest bloke on the grid. But the Spaniard is used to toddling around without much hope of a 33rd F1 victory until this year when he showed he still had podium-scoring abilities with a half-decent car, which the Aston Martin was until recent races.

Nevertheless, Alonso proves that great drivers can go on far longer. However, is Hamilton content to be a midfielder, scrapping for meagre points and occasional stabs at a podium?

Coulthard reckons: "I'm sure there are quotes from drivers when they were younger, who said they could not see themselves racing into their late 30s and beyond. I'm sure Lewis will have said something similar. But he’ll look at Fernando Alonso, and think: if Fernando, who is 42, is still competitive, then why not me?

"However, the only reason for Hamilton to hang around is to try and win races and compete for championships. Scoring points will not change his life. He needs to see what Mercedes can show him that gives him the confidence he will be competitive next year, rather than having to stay around for another three seasons.

"Lewis has had an incredible journey in life, with his achievements on the track, and his exposure off it. He has got a very healthy view of how it is being Lewis Hamilton – the Formula 1 driver that goes from country to country...

"And Lewis Hamilton, the individual, the personality, the celebrity. But none of those personality-driven events he goes to will ever give him the adrenaline buzz he gets from racing an F1 car. Very few things in life will ever give him that feeling so when the time does arrive for him to retire.

"He has to be certain he is ready to stop," concluded Coulthard.

Meanwhile to RacingNews365 earlier this month Mercedes boss Toto Wolff explained the situation: "We're not talking about an ambassadorial role post his retirement nor is that part of the contract negotiations," Wolff told media including RacingNews365.

"He has many years to go as a driver within the team and therefore it is only about cleaning things up in the contract. I know it looks a little bit: 'Why is this not done and dusted?' but it is simply down to trivial things that just need to be cleaned up in the contract.

"He's been a Mercedes driver since he was eight or 10 years old when he had the AMG visor, and then obviously the years with McLaren in the Mercedes family and then 10 or 11 years in the Mercedes works team.

"He's synonymous with Mercedes as he is synonymous with his career. We've gone through so many ups and downs, so many situations that were difficult on the human side, on the performance side and so many more hugely positive moments.

"That's just made us stick together, trust each other whilst being able to have tough love and the odd argument. That is such a strong bond that makes him so loyal," trumpeted Wolff.