While his former coach Ron Dennis begins the new year with the joy of a knighthood, Lewis Hamilton begins it wondering if he would ever be able to claim the prize he craves the most: an eighth world title to conclude the most illustrious career in Formula One history.
The sport’s manufacturers are closed for the holidays. Nothing is known about the relative speed of the teams’ progress over the winter, a mystery that will only be revealed when pre-season testing begins in Bahrain.
What is certain is that this is a crucial year for Lewis and Mercedes. He will be 39 years old on Sunday, so time is not on his side.
He still has this year and next on a contract for £50 million per year, so that’s some consolation.
But, while his income is a luxury, it is not the reason he is in the game. Two larger elements, it appears to me, motivate him. First, he must make amends for missing out on championship glory so controversially in Abu Dhabi on the final lap of the 2021 season, thus writing his own fairytale ending.
