Formula 1 odds paint an intriguing picture on Lewis Hamilton retirement

The fact that Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 world championship odds have barely moved shows that not many actually expected him to retire.

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is indeed set to return to Mercedes for a 10th season in 2022 after offseason speculation that he might retire after the way the 2021 season ended in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton appeared to be well on his way to winning what would have been a record-breaking eighth world championship before a late safety car period led to a controversial restart with one lap remaining. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with whom Hamilton entered the season finale tied on points, passed him for the race win and the title.

Hamilton then took a lengthy hiatus from social media, which only further fueled speculation that he may not return for a 16th season in 2022, despite the fact that he signed a two-year contract extension to remain with Mercedes through 2023 over the summer.

However, he recently returned to social media, and Mercedes confirmed that he is indeed set to be back behind the wheel in 2022.

Betting odds and trends seem to indicate that the Hamilton retirement rumors were nothing more than smoke in mirrors.

At no point in the offseason was Hamilton not listed as the favorite to win an eighth world championship in 2022, according to WynnBET.

Even for a seven-time world champion who has won four titles in the last five years and six in the last eight, you would not expect that to be the case if anybody truly believed that he would never compete in another race, especially since he is coming off of a hotly contested championship battle that resulted in a runner-up finish.

Of course, there were some shifts in the betting odds throughout the offseason, but you would expect that considering how much uncertainty there is about which teams and drivers will excel and which will struggle with the new rules and regulations slated to take effect in 2022.

Hamilton began the offseason listed as the favorite at -112 ahead of Verstappen at +250. Hamilton’s odds did drop to as low as +155, but even at +155, he was still the favorite ahead of the reigning world champion at +200.

The 37-year-old Briton hovered around the +130 to +140 range throughout much of the offseason.

He is now listed as the favorite at +120, ahead of Verstappen at +225 and new Mercedes teammate George Russell at +500. Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. are listed at +900 and +1500, respectively, amid cautious optimism that the Scuderia may be headed for their first winning season since 2019.

The 2022 season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 20 with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit, which is also scheduled to host a preseason testing session from Thursday, March 10 to Saturday, March 12. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is scheduled to host one from Wednesday, February 23 to Friday, February 25 as well. Mercedes are set to launch their 2022 challenger, the W13, on Friday, February 18.