When it comes to modern Formula 1 drivers, none are perhaps as great as Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton came into Formula 1 in 2007 with McLaren, and in his rookie year, he took the fight to teammate Fernando Alonso and challenged for the world title in his very first season. Something that not many drivers in the history of the sport have been able to do. Now, Hamilton has won seven world titles in total, his first in 2008 with McLaren and six subsequent world championships with Mercedes. This season sees him fighting for his eight overall, facing stiff competition from Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
Hamilton is a driver who rarely puts a foot wrong, and has cemented himself into the sport's history. There is however every chance that Hamilton could retire at the end of this year. He signed just a one-year extension to his contract prior to the 2021 season, and even if he doesn’t retire this year, it is probably an event that is not too far away. Hamilton is more than just an F1 driver. He is a global superstar. But, despite the popularity he has and following he will bring to Formula 1, the sport won’t miss him when he retires. That is a big statement, but there are plenty of reasons why that is true.
Formula 1 Does Not Need Hamilton
There can sometimes be a misconception that a sporting series or category needs its stars to be able to survive and thrive. MotoGP is an example where some people believe this to be true, with it looking like Valentino Rossi is heading for retirement at the end of this season. But for all the fans that are out there for Rossi, there are plenty of them that are fans of the sport itself and not just the one rider, and of course, MotoGP will have millions of fans all around the globe.
It is a similar story in F1. The sport doesn’t need Hamilton to thrive and survive. It existed before he made his debut, and it will continue to exist whenever the time comes to hang up his helmet. For sure, his global reach will have drawn more fans into the sport, and we surely have to thank him for that. But they won’t all go away when he leaves. Drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel and young Briton Lando Norris will still be there as will all the other drivers, and it looks like Mercedes junior driver George Russell is best placed to become the teams' heir apparent in the future. Speaking of the next generation, we come to our next point.
The Next Generation Is Here
Every few years in sport, one generation will leave, and the next generation will come in. It is almost an inevitability. We are seeing it happen in IndyCar for example, with the likes of Alexander Rossi, Alex Palou and Rinus Veekay all part of the next generation in that series. MotoGP has guys like Jack Miller, Pecco Bagnaia, and Fabio Quartararo. Formula 1 has its own talents emerging as well, with the current crop that are rising to the top perhaps the most exciting young talents to emerge in the sport for many a year. Lando Norris is becoming an absolute star for McLaren, having taken two podiums for the team already this year and is right now comfortably beating new teammate Daniel Ricciardo, a man who has won seven grand prix so far in his career. George Russell showed what he can do in his debut with Mercedes at Sakhir in 2020, and of course we have Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, the latter providing perhaps Hamilton’s toughest title competition yet. These guys are already here and ready to take over when guys like Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen move on, and will mix it with established stars such as Sergio Perez and Ricciardo. The next generation is ready to take Hamilton’s crown.
Hamilton Has Cemented His Legacy
No one ever thought Michael Schumacher’s records of 68 pole positions, 91 race wins and 7 world titles could ever be matched, let alone beaten. But here we are, at the time of writing just after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which ironically was a terrible race for Hamilton, and Hamilton has racked up 98 wins, 100 pole positions, and matched Schumacher’s 7 world titles while currently in the hunt for title eight. Even if Hamilton doesn’t win the world title in 2021 and retires, his legacy is absolutely cemented in the sport. He is the most winning driver and the driver with the most pole positions to his name. Perhaps only Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have any chance of coming close to those records.
Moving Forward
To conclude, then, Formula 1 won’t miss Lewis Hamilton when he retires. That might sound slightly harsh, but it isn’t meant to be. If the sport relied on one driver so much to survive and to be relevant, then it wouldn’t have got through over 70 years of history and be the global sport that it is today. Fans will of course miss Hamilton when he retires, and it will be sad to see him hang up the helmet and racing suit. He is surely one of the all-time greats in the sport, and over the last few years, we have witnessed him make history, and rewrite records we never thought could be broken. But Formula 1 will keep going and go from strength to strength even if Hamilton is gone. And surely, that’s the best thing for all parties involved.
Sources: Formula 1, Sporting News, Bleachers News, Car Magazine, Eurosport