It's been more than a month since Hamilton disappeared from social media, and the last photo is of the qualifying round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when he was just one step away from his eighth F1 world title. It was just an accident that shattered his dreams, Latifi's crash triggered a safety car, and Verstappen used the last lap to achieve a comeback and fulfill his dream of world championship.
After the race, Hamilton, Wolff, the entire Mercedes team and fans were in a state of shock. As all sorts of pro- and anti-rhetoric continued to emerge, Wolfe took the lead in breaking the silence and expressing his immense disappointment and even anger.
Hamilton gerdy congratulated Verstappen and then disappeared into sight, not only missing the FIA year-end awards ceremony, but also nearly emptying his personal social media accounts. Hamilton needed to rest, be released from the pressure of the final showdown and relax after a record 22 races.
As a result, news of Hamilton's retirement kept popping up. Even former F1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone has spoken out, arguing that Hamilton will not be returning to the game.
Losing the world championship at your fingertips is indeed a very heavy blow, knowing that the 37-year-old Hamilton is no longer young, except for the retired Raikkonen, who is the second oldest F1 driver in the active duty, only younger than Alonso. Physical strength is the main problem facing veteran Hamilton, after all, F1 now runs more than two dozen races a year.
In addition, after recovering from the new crown pneumonia, Hamilton has said several times that his body is easy to become weak, although the cause is not clearly specified, but the so-called pneumonia sequelae are also one of the factors affecting his state.
The change in rules for the 2022 season is a great opportunity for the experienced Hamilton to beat Verstappen to regain the world title, because every time there is a rule change in F1, it is always the experienced veterans who adapt first.
Hamilton will have a new teammate next season, Russell, who is seen as the future world champion. The two Britons have always had a good interaction, and the infusion of fresh blood will also stimulate Hamilton. The most important point, of course, is that in the team competition with Red Bull Racing, Mercedes has been given a more powerful weapon.
Hamilton has set many F1 records, with the biggest goal being an eighth world title, which will completely surpass the car king Schumacher. In fact, Hamilton has already broken many of the records set by Schumacher, and given that Hamilton's contract doesn't expire until 2023, anything is possible.
New cars, new rules, new teammates, a thirst for records and a determination to get revenge, Hamilton doesn't lack the motivation and reason to keep racing. Perhaps Hamilton just lacked a bit of a failing experience, having managed to achieve four consecutive titles after losing to teammate Rosberg in 2016. This defeat to Verstappen may be the impetus for him to take off again.
Hamilton's 2022 has quietly begun, and hopefully hearing from Hamilton next time is heartening news.
![Former Schumacher teammate: Mick couldn't be as good as his father because his teammates were too rubbish[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)