Lewis Hamilton will not consider retirement after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he remains the “gold standard” for drivers in Formula 1, according to Sky Sports F1 expert Karun Chandhok.
Despite signing a contract until 2023 earlier this year, Hamilton’s future remains constantly under the microscope with some quarters musing that he could call it a day should he surpass Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula 1 world championship titles.
The 34-year-old is currently level with the iconic German driver and finishing above title rival Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi would be enough to clinch an unprecedented eighth crown with the pair locked on 369.5 points each going into the final race of the season.
Chandhok doesn’t believe this will be Hamilton’s final race in Formula 1 for more reasons than just his Mercedes contract on the table.
He said: “No, because he just loves it. I mean, he just loves driving nice cars and is the gold standard still.
“The last four races have shown us that Lewis is still the gold standard that the other drivers are aiming to beat.
“If he comes back to win this championship, I think it’ll be his second best ever, but certainly the best one of the last decade.”
That raises an obvious question. If this wouldn’t be Hamilton’s finest hour, which season takes that honour? For Chandhok, Lewis’ early years remain up there with his very best in the sport.
He said: “I still go back to his first two years in Formula 1 which, for me, were the most impressive in so many ways.
“He arrived as a rookie on the world stage alongside Fernando Alonso and he was stunning, absolutely stunning. Then you come to 2008 when he won the world championship with huge pressure on him.
“His first world championship remains, I think, his best. At such a young age, he had to take on the pressure of a title battle. [If he wins in 2021] I would say this is probably his second best. The most impressive thing with Lewis is when I went to testing in pre-season before the first race, I stood on the side of the track and the Mercedes did not look good.
“It really didn’t look like a good car, but he’s plugged away and the greatest drivers win the races that their cars aren’t meant to. Bahrain in round one was a classic example of that. Interlagos, coming from 10th is an amazing win.
“Saudi, with that broken front wing, the fact that he went back and re-passed Max and was miles ahead of Bottas.
“That’s a sign of greatness and the fact that his motivation hasn’t waned. He’s been racing for 28 years yet you see him jump out of the car and you see him deliver those qualifying laps and it’s still like it’s his first race. He’s still pumped up.”
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