Mercedes recently recruited Mick Schumacher as its reserve driver after the German was dropped from Haas following a less than satisfactory stint at the team.
Mick will look to make the most of his experience at the Silver Arrows as he looks to stay in touch with the sport and look for a way to make a comeback as a full-time driver when the opportunity presents itself.
Schumacher will have the likes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to learn from and he will also be expected to provide the duo with valuable intel on the car as the season progresses.
Speaking about the appointment, Hamilton explained how Mick will prove to be an asset to Mercedes.
“Mick is a great talent,” Hamilton said.
“He is an asset for Mercedes. He is a German driver and his father and Mercedes were already closely connected.”
It is unlikely that Hamilton and Mick will establish a close relationship and the Stevenage-born driver explained why he will not rely on the German driver’s direct inputs in 2023.
“You don’t actually work that closely with the third driver anymore,” Hamilton said.
“It’s a lot of simulator work and not like it used to be, even though we’ll still be teammates.”
Hamilton had previously spoken about wanting to quit F1 early in an attempt to propel his career in the entertainment industry.
However, his motivation to stay in the sport is still very much alive.
The seven-time world champion had a disappointing 2022 campaign and failed to win a single race in the season for the first time in his career.
However, he believes he still has a few years still left in him to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also explained how extending Hamilton’s contract beyond the end of the 2023 season is a priority.
Lewis discussed how he is also on the same page as far as extending his stay at Mercedes is concerned.
“So far there is no timeframe for that as we’ve been constantly on the road for the last few months,” he said.
“It won’t be long now, but I will definitely stay.
“I think stopping as world champion is a dream that every athlete has – and so do I.”