F1 News: Former Drivers Reveals Lewis Hamilton Could Opt For "Plan B" If 8th World Title

Lewis Hamilton could choose the 'other option' if things don't go as planned.

Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle has suggested that if Lewis Hamilton faces challenges in securing his eighth world championship title, the Mercedes driver might consider implementing a "Plan B."

Hamilton faced performance challenges throughout the season due to the Mercedes W13 F1 car grappling with porpoising issues - a problem that was a direct consequence of the development route the team took after the introduction of the modern ground effect era in 2022.

Fast forward to 2023, and you might have noticed that Mercedes launched an evolved version of the same car at the Monaco Grand Prix. Though the team managed to solve the bouncing problem, the car itself lacked pace, as it was unable to compete with Red Bull's RB19 in any way, needing a very specific operating window.

Sadly for Hamilton, he lost two years of dominance that could have otherwise helped him win an eighth title if his car was potent enough to duel with the likes of Max Verstappen and the mighty RB19. On the contrary, the 38-year-old driver just finished the second winless season of his career. 

The most recent opportunity for Hamilton to secure his eighth world title slipped away under the controversial circumstances of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to Max Verstappen. Despite holding records for race victories, points, podiums, and pole positions, adding more championships remains an especially appealing goal for the seven-time-world champion ahead of retirement.

Presently, he shares the seven-time world championship record with F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Now though, Hamilton faces a race against time in pursuit of his eighth world championship, a feat that would elevate him to the position of the most successful Formula 1 driver in history. 

Hamilton will be 39 years of age before the commencement of the 2024 F1 season, and by the time the regulations evolve for the 2026 season, he would have turned 41. These are numbers that could hint at a potential shift in the competitive landscape in the near future.

But, given Red Bull's stability within the current regulations, a significant change at the front of the Formula 1 grid is not expected soon unless the grid tightens drastically next year onwards. There are also claims by the Red Bull team boss Christian Horner that his team has already entered the phase of diminishing returns. But how soon that translates into visible evidence on the race track isn't yet known. 

The history of Formula 1 suggests older drivers, well past their mid-thirties, have achieved world titles. However, the count becomes a lot smaller when compared to much younger drivers, who sport a higher win rate. For example, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, and Jack Brabham were around 38 or 39 years old when they secured their final Formula 1 championship titles. 

Though securing the eighth title doesn't seem impossible for Hamilton, the numbers suggest that he may not have a long time left, and thus, Mercedes must give him a car that can help win a championship. If not, Brundle thinks the British driver will opt for a plan B, which he might have in mind already. He wrote in a special, end-of-year column for Sky F1:

“I think if Lewis senses that the eighth title is unachievable in a reasonable time frame, he’ll be thinking of Plan B."

Brundle however did not reveal details on the "Plan B"- whether it meant moving to a different form of motorsport, such as Le Mans 24 Hours in the World Endurance Championship, or if it meant retirement from the premier class of motorsport. Maybe, only he and Hamilton know of what he's writing.