Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton’s cryptic message raises eyebrows

Lewis Hamilton’s Instagram post from after one of his worst Formula 1 race weekends got fans talking and speculating about his future.

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was less than a lap away from being crowned the sport’s first ever eight-time champion in December when he was passed by Max Verstappen after a controversial restart on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — and the final lap of the 2021 season.

But the 103-time race winner, who had won four titles in a row before last year amid an era of Mercedes dominance, has been a relative non-factor in 2022 following the introduction of brand-new rules and regulations.

Mercedes have certainly struggled with their new W13, but newcomer George Russell sits 21 points ahead of Hamilton through four races without a single finish lower than fifth place. Hamilton, meanwhile, has only finished higher than 10th twice.

Hamilton hit a new low in Imola, when he struggled to pass and failed to score any points with a 13th place result, a result which left him behind at least one driver from nine of the sport’s 10 teams. Russell, meanwhile, finished in fourth, and he passed quite a few cars to do so.

The 37-year-old Briton has come right out and said that he is out of championship contention, even though there are still 19 of 23 races remaining on this year’s schedule.

But his struggles have led to additional speculation.

Many have suggested that there is tension in the Mercedes garage, particularly between Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff, and that Hamilton is ready to move on after the team’s miserable start to the 2022 season. Making it worse is the fact that there is very little prospect for any major improvement in the near future.

These suggestions have come despite the fact that Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension with the Silver Arrows last year to remain with the team through the 2023 season. After all, throughout much of this past offseason, there were doubts that Hamilton would even come back for 2022, given how the final lap of the season finale unfolded.

He has nothing left to prove in Formula 1, and the idea of him stepping away now or in the near future may not be as unlikely as it once seemed. But Hamilton wants everyone to know that he will be the one to make that decision, and everything else is just outside noise.

During the recent off week, he posted a picture to Instagram, captioned with the following.

"“Working on my masterpiece, I’ll be the one to decide when it’s finished.”"

But what will Hamilton decide? Will he retire with Mercedes, and if so, when? Would he be willing to make a move and conclude his career with a new team following an all-time great stint with the Brackley-based outfit?