Mercedes should prepare for Lewis Hamilton's F1 departure, according to Ralf Schumacher

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has urged Mercedes to prepare for a future without Lewis Hamilton. Schumacher believes the German outfit must be ready for a time when Hamilton might suddenly decide to quit the sport.

While talking about Lewis Hamilton’s future within the sport during an interview with Sky Sports, the brother of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher said:

“You should also not forget that Mercedes must also slowly orientate itself towards the future. Lewis can say at any time that he doesn’t like it anymore or wants to stop. And you have to prepare for that.”

Schumacher believes George Russell’s arrival at the team is the first step in the right direction for the German marquee to prepare for a post-Hamilton era. He believes the young Briton has the potential to replace the multiple world champion as team leader if the latter were to call it quits.

Amid Hamilton’s two-month-long silence during the winter break, speculations started mounting about the Briton’s future within the sport. Reports suggested that Mercedes were unsure whether their star driver would return to racing in 2022 and were reportedly considering alternative options just in case.

Meanwhile, in recent years, Hamilton has preferred to only sign short-term rolling contracts that do not exceed two seasons to keep his options open. His latest contract with the team, signed in mid-2021 keeps him at Mercedes only until the end of 2023. This is relatively short compared to other drivers across the grid who have signed incredibly long contracts.

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Lewis Hamilton's sarcastic response to his retirement rumors

Lewis Hamilton has rubbished rumors that ever considered retiring from the sport, sarcastically claiming that he “thought about retiring” many times. Speaking in an interview after the Mercedes 2022 launch event, the Briton said:

“I’ve considered retiring so many times. Just kidding. I really honestly I haven’t, of course, I think at the end of the season the question is whether you’re willing to commit the time, the effort it takes to be a world champion.”

He further said:

“I think a lot of people underestimate what it takes to be a world champion. And there are so many moving parts. It’s not just turning up and driving the car. Do you want to sacrifice the time do you want to do you believe that you can continue to punch at the weight that you’re punching?”

Hamilton said that although there were moments after his Abu Dhabi disappointment, where he “lost faith” in the system, he never seriously considered stopping. Instead, he took the time off to recharge with his family and build himself back up to be in good shape to come back stronger.