Sir Jackie Stewart has urged Lewis Hamilton to call time on his F1 career after the seven-time World Champion's mixed start to the 2022 season. Hamilton and Mercedes were recently the sport's dominant force, with the Briton rapidly working his way up to equal Michael Schumacher's title record. However, there was a changing of the guard in 2021, as Max Verstappen and Red Bull narrowly claimed honours at the end of a hard-fought campaign. And, amid 2022's rules reset, Mercedes have fallen behind Red Bull and Ferrari in the F1 pecking order, leaving Hamilton and new teammate George Russell in a battle for the 'best of the rest' positions – one that the youngster is winning.
Stewart: It's time for Hamilton to resign
Having stepped up from Williams after three seasons, Russell leads Hamilton five to four in the qualifying head-to-head so far in 2022, while the 24-year-old has scored 111 points to the 37-year-old's 77. Speaking on The Convex Conversation podcast, three-time World Champion Stewart called on Hamilton to think about moving on from F1 – while backing him to be "very successful" with his interest outside of motorsport. "He's now struggling a little bit, because he's had a new teammate who has been quicker than him in qualifying so far this year, which is going to be difficult for him to handle," Stewart commented. "I think it is time for him to resign. He's got music, he's got culture, he loves clothing and the rag trade would be absolutely suitable for him. "I'm sure he'll be very successful, because he's been earning a huge amount of money, rightfully so, because he's been the best of his time."
Hamilton up there with Senna and Prost
Stewart added that Hamilton has "carried the sport very well" during his time in F1 and puts him up there with a host of past stars. "Lewis is in that group of the Ayrton Sennas and the Alain Prosts, or even the Jackie Stewarts, maybe," he said. But with Hamilton's title-winning run coming to an end, Stewart reaffirmed: "I would like to see him resigning now. "It's a pity he wasn't resigning at the top, but I don't think that's going to happen now. "But nevertheless, it's wiser to stop than go through all the pain of not being able to do what you did before."
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