Martin Brundle reveals Lewis Hamilton 'plan B' in championship hunt

Martin Brundle gives his take on the problems for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Brundle reveals Hamilton 'plan B' in championship hunt

Martin Brundle discusses Lewis Hamilton championship hunt

Anna Malyon

Tuesday 26 December 2023 08:57 Updated: 13:42

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes that if Lewis Hamilton doesn't have confidence in securing his eighth championship title, he might already be contemplating "Plan B."

Both Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have expressed their eagerness to secure the British driver's eighth drivers’ championship.

However, with Hamilton not achieving a race victory since Saudi Arabia in 2021 and Mercedes' performance not meeting expectations, the championship title may be slipping out of reach.

Article continues under video

This has led former driver Brundle to share his thoughts on Hamilton’s pursuit of another world title and whether he is equipped to contend for it.

“I think if Lewis senses that the eighth title is unachievable in a reasonable time frame, he’ll be thinking of Plan B,” said Brundle to Sky Sports.

“It depends if Lewis maintains his current motivation, but it’s so close to call.”

Lewis Hamilton is in pursuit of his eighth world championship

Martin Brundle discusses Lewis Hamilton championship fight

Mercedes team-mates

Brundle also explored the possibility that Mercedes team-mate George Russell could become a championship contender if Mercedes regained their competitive edge.

“I think they’re so close, those two, if you look at the stats, but George had a couple of nightmare races this year. That’s a very good question,” Brundle added.

“Lewis knows how to do that but George has got youth on his side. I don’t know the answer to that, but I definitely wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, Lewis without a doubt, because he’s already a seven-time champion.’ That I would absolutely not say.

“Until George is in a championship-winning position, we don’t know if he’s got the head to cope with it.”

We are yet to witness if Mercedes can contend with the frontrunners in the 2024 season, but it could set the stage for another team-mate battle if Mercedes returns to dominance.

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Toto Wolff Martin Brundle Sky Sports F1