Brundle disputes Hamilton Abu Dhabi 'revenge' claim

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton is driven by avenging the loss of a record-breaking eighth world title in 2021 after signing a contract extension with Mercedes.

The British driver will remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025 at least and has put speculation over his future to bed with his new contract, announced in conjunction with a new deal for teammate George Russell.

Hamilton has claimed that his decision to stay was not motivated by "revenge" having lost out on the 2021 title when being overtaken by rival Max Verstappen on the final lap following a controversial late Safety Car.

But speaking to Sky Sports, Brundle disputed: “I think it’s very much driving him.

“There are many who believe that, had he won the eighth title in Abu Dhabi in 2021, he would have retired.

“So I think it’s a big driving force for him to leave the championship tally at eight or more.”

Mercedes has to 'bin this car'

The saga surrounding Hamilton's new contract came down to the finer details of the deal and when asked whether the salary was a major factor in his decision, Brundle told Sky Sports: “He will value himself as the same as Max, as a seven-time world champion. He knows he’s still got the speed.

“It will be tens of millions, plus bonuses. I imagine Lewis and his team have been dotting i’s and crossing t’s for all kinds of things, in the car, out of the car, away from the track.

“Things he wants to do, he’ll have been fighting like crazy to do almost no media or marketing, if he can get away with it!"

Mercedes has struggled to get on top of its car problems since the start of the new regulations, switching car concept earlier this year after a change of technical leadership behind the scenes.

Brundle expects the car problems to be an important factor for both Hamilton and Russell's longevity in the team.

“They’ve got to bin this car because they’ve had one-and-a-half seasons of trying to make it work, make it talk to the drivers, be predictable, and it just isn’t,” explained Brundle.

“Occasionally they show unbelievable pace but they don’t have a good, understandable platform. It all depends on what they come out with between January and March next year, as to whether they’re right back in the hunt."