Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas may have brushed aside speculation about Lewis Hamilton’s retirement from Formula One, saying that the Briton is hungry for more success, but ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone believes the seven-time champion is unlikely to return in 2022 to wrest back the title he lost to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Ecclestone believes Hamilton will call it a day as he is dismayed with the way he lost the world title in a dramatic season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Controversial race

Hamilton looked set to win his eighth world title when a turn of events saw Dutch driver Verstappen pass him on the last lap to clinch his maiden F1 title. It was a controversial race and FIA race director Michael Masi was criticised heavily for his interpretation of rules relating to lapped cars under safety car conditions in the closing stages. The decision to allow the lapped cars that separated the British driver and Verstappen to pass the safety car before it returned to the pits was disputable and Mercedes launched appeals before dropping their case.