F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali assured his full support for Lewis Hamilton, saying the Mercedes driver deserved a great sporting environment.
The aftermath of what happened at Yas Marina has seen the seven-time world champion bask in his silence and Mercedes unsure if he will return to the sport. It is something that is very much left to be resolved.
However, he made an appearance in Mercedes’ video for their Chinese fans, seemingly putting an end to the speculation. On Mercedes’ video posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Hamilton can be seen dressed in the team’s 2022 racing kit. He then proceeded to wish those watching a very merry Chinese New Year.
Having seen the video and studied the situation, Domenicali assured his full support for Hamilton, saying his importance to the sport could not be understated.
“Of course I very much hope the fight between them (Hamilton and Max Verstappen) continues,” the Italian told Auto Bild, as quoted by grandprix.com.
“In 2021, the interest was huge thanks to Max and Lewis. But I also hope that other drivers can get involved in the fight for the title. We currently have so many young and talented drivers – an extremely strong field.
“So the focus right now is whether the new cars will allow more drivers to fight for victories and the title.
Key cog in the machine
“First of all, he faces an incredible task – to become the first driver with eight world championship titles,” the boss continued.
“His attention will be focused on that. He also actively opposes racism.
“It is important that he feels comfortable in Formula 1 – this is his place. This is where we and the fans want to see him.”
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