Mika Hakkinen: Does money motivate riders?

Until Mercedes agrees with Lewis Hamilton on the terms of a new contract, which will probably happen sooner or later, there will be more and more rumors about the future prospects of the seven-time world champion.

In the spring in particular, rumors began that he was offered a financially extremely attractive contract with Ferrari, which was subsequently refuted by both parties.

Mika Hakkinen, former Formula 1 driver, a wise man through life experience, does not believe in this either, but has his own view of what is happening. It seems to him that Hamilton now has a wider range of interests, which means that he can no longer fully focus on racing.

“If Lewis Hamilton goes to Ferrari, it will be a surprise. Does money motivate riders? – reasoned the Finn, who took part in the Unibet video podcast. – I know that Lewis’s head is now not only concerned with racing. This is completely normal, but it’s not about the money.

Of course, money also plays a role, but in this case the risk is too great. The chance that Lewis will go to Ferrari is therefore extremely small. But I always say that with age people change their way of thinking, life priorities change.

Formula 1 is just not the most important anymore. And this doesn’t surprise me in a situation where the rivalry is escalating and young drivers are entering the championship – look at the results that George Russell, Lewis’s partner, is now showing. Hamilton was in a difficult position.

Does he still have the energy to wake up every morning thinking that he has to give his best and get results that will put him ahead of his partner? Is it possible to say that this is the future he needs? ..”

After seven stages of the season in the championship, Max Verstappen is confident in the lead and there is less and less doubt that the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver is on his way to his third title.

“Max is way ahead of everyone else at the moment. But the question is, who will be the next champion? Who will be able to beat him? continued Mika. – Do you always wonder if a stronger opponent will appear? Michael Schumacher won seven titles, Lewis Hamilton also became world champion seven times. But there are always new talented racers.

I can clearly see that the future is already being shaped by these young riders. They have an incredibly high level of education. Just being able to hold the wheel firmly in your hands and squeeze everything out of the car has not been nearly enough. Talent lies in the ability to think correctly, constantly work on oneself and develop. So it’s all very interesting.

But the dominance of Red Bull Racing does not surprise me at all. And I have only one question: will they be able to create their own competitive engine in the future at the same level as the Mercedes power plants? However, I believe that now it is not so much in the engine as in the chassis.

The Aston Martin team uses Mercedes engines, but they are doing incredibly well at the moment. This shows how important the aerodynamic efficiency of the car is and how much influence it has on the results.”