Lewis Hamilton’s disenchantment with the performance of his McLaren Mercedes in the build-up to the new Formula One season is such that he admitted last night that he may consider switching teams.
McLaren have been so far off the pace that there are some who think the world champion may fail to make the top ten in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, and Hamilton’s frustration appeared to be reflected when he said publicly for the first time that he could leave a team he joined to drive karts as a 13-year-old in 1998.
“I haven’t had offers from other teams and I am not talking to anyone. But I would listen to an offer from another team if someone asked me,” Hamilton, 24, said. “It would be a great compliment and it would be silly if I did not.”
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Hamilton is just into the second year of a five-year contract, but until last night he had repeatedly said that he would be happy to spend his career with the Surrey-based team. To hint that he may have changed his mind will put even more pressure on McLaren to improve his car — and it would undoubtedly make their main rivals, notably Ferrari, prick up their ears.
Hamilton, who became the youngest world champion in F1 history last year, has talked down his chances of repeating last year’s Melbourne triumph this weekend.
“I think we focused so much on last year’s car, we maybe left it a little bit late to focus on this year’s car,” Hamilton said.
“It’s difficult to say but people have obviously done a better job at the moment.”
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Hamilton and his McLaren-Mercedes teammate Heikki Kovalainen were significantly off the pace in testing earlier this month.
“Who knows? This weekend we’ve got lots of bits coming, so hopefully we can try and fight at least for some points,” he said.
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