04 April 2023 , 16:14
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The long-term futures of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with their current employers appear uncertain given the situations they find themselves in.
Hamilton has raced for the Mercedes works team for a decade and has enjoyed incredible success, winning six of his seven world titles as the Silver Arrows dominated the sport. On several occasions in recent months, he has reaffirmed his desire to stay with the team until the end of his Formula 1 career.
But the contract extension which appeared little more than a formality never materialised over the winter. Hamilton's current deal expires at the end of this year and, with Mercedes struggling to be competitive again, there have been suggestions he might decide to leave after all.
Meanwhile, Leclerc has a little more time to assess his options. His Ferrari contract expires at the end of 2024 and, although the team has been building for the future around him ever since he joined, it has been made clear that renewal talks are not a priority right now.
Ferrari have started the 2023 season poorly and Leclerc looks unlikely to get the chance to compete for the title that he desperately craves. Naturally, he too has been linked with moves elsewhere with Mercedes the most common team to be mentioned in the same breath as the Monegasque racer.
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With their individual scenarios in mind, it has been suggested that a possible swap could take place in the near future. Hamilton would be taking one final gamble in a bid to secure that eighth world title, while Leclerc would star afresh alongside George Russell in what would be a young and exciting driver line-up for Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc's contract renewal talks with Ferrari are on hold (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Matt Gallagher and Tom Bellingham, two of the most recognisable F1 content creators thanks to their success with WTF1, agree that such a move would be "blockbuster". But they also share the opinion that it is very unlikely to happen.
"No-one has any idea when [Hamilton] is going to go and where he is going to go," Gallagher, a long-suffering Ferrari fan, told Metro. "If he wants to win an eighth world title, does he want to move away from the team that's provided him with six of those championships? Probably not."
Bellingham agreed, adding: "Even if Hamilton was nervous about leaving Mercedes because he's up against George Russell, Leclerc is definitely not an easier opponent – I'd argue even more difficult. So it's a big risk that I can't see him moving there. I hope Mercedes get good again before his time is up."