Lewis Hamilton's recent activity should reportedly not be seen as a confirmation of his F1 return

Lewis Hamilton's recent online activity has been a source of relief for a multitude of the Briton's fans. Those fans, however, may want to hold off on further celebrations as none of it is confirmation that Hamilton will return to F1.

According to the BBC's chief F1 writer, Andrew Benson, Lewis Hamilton's return to the sport is still contingent on the results of the FIA's ongoing internal investigation into the end of the 2021 season.

On February 8, Benson touched on the issue for the BBC by writing:

“[Lewis] Hamilton’s movements in recent days show that he is preparing for the F1 season as he would any other – but that should not be interpreted as a confirmation that he will race this year. The 37-year-old is waiting on the outcome of the inquiry into last season’s final race before making a final decision on his commitment to F1 this year.”

Benson also elucidated the investigation process the FIA is currently employing. He went on to add, saying:

“The F1 drivers are due to speak to representatives of the governing body this week to discuss the events of Abu Dhabi and what can be learned from [Michael] Masi’s mistakes there, as part of the inquiry into the events of the race. FIA single-seaters boss Peter Bayer will then discuss the inquiry’s findings with president Mohammed Ben Sulayem before the pair present their recommendations to F1 president Stefano Domenicali and the teams at a meeting of the F1 Commission early next week, on Monday 14 February. It is expected that Hamilton will not finally decide whether to return to F1 this year until those findings are revealed.”

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton returned to social media for the first time in nearly two months on February 5.

The seven-time world champion was also spotted on an early morning run with his physio and long-time friend, Angela Cullen, in London recently.

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Lewis Hamilton's future in F1 dependent on Mercedes' competitiveness, feels Mika Hakkinen

As the F1 world continues to be swamped with speculation regarding Lewis Hamilton's future in the sport, former world champion Mika Hakkinen feels it will be influenced by Mercedes' competitiveness in the coming season.

Hakkinen won two world titles in 1998 and 1999 with McLaren, the team Hamilton would win his maiden world championship with, back in 2008.

During an interview with The Independent in the UK, the Finnish legend admitted he had concerns about Mercedes and the car they could provide the Briton with in 2022. He said:

“The regulations in Formula One have dramatically changed. It is going to be a completely new machine and the chances are that the designers might not find an optimum machine. If that happens to Lewis (Hamilton) it is going to be really hard for him to accept.”

Hakkinen went on to add, saying:

“If you have been at the top of the mountain and suddenly you have to climb back up the mountain because you don’t have the best car, it is going to be emotional for him to control. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Lewis. We don’t know whether he is coming back, but let’s hope he is.”

The car in question, the W13, is set to be revealed at a digital launch event on February 18. Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) boss Hyvel Thomas has confessed the team is 'absolutely desperate' to get their development on track with the new season fast approaching.