Lewis Hamilton has been tipped to make a sensational return to McLaren if he gets “fed up” with Ferrari, according to Formula 1 insider Peter Windsor.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton’s relationship with Ferrari has come under the spotlight in recent weeks amid increasing tension with team-mate Charles Leclerc following their opening-lap clash in Mexico.
Hamilton was critical of Leclerc after the incident but has since insisted that the pair have “squashed” the matter after holding talks with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur at the last race in Brazil.
The relationship between Hamilton and Leclerc has led to intense debate about how Ferrari manages the situation going forward if it wants to have a chance of winning the world championship next year.
The relationship between Hamilton and Leclerc has come under increased scrutiny
Former F1 team manager and journalist Windsor weighed in on the dynamic between Hamilton and Ferrari on the Cameron Cc podcast, suggesting that McLaren could come knocking if the 41-year-old Briton continues to grow frustrated at Maranello.
“It’s kind of difficult to imagine those situations because if he got to the point of saying, ‘I love Ferrari, I love the money. I love the people. I love Maranello. I love the pasta. I love everything, but I don’t like Charles Leclerc anymore and I find that they’ve got no ability to run this team efficiently because Charles constantly disobeys team orders,’ or whatever he’s thinking, ‘I’m going to retire’,” Windsor said.
“The minute he said that, I suspect Zak Brown would be immediately on the phone saying, ‘Lewis, two-year contract, McLaren, easy to run team, Oscar in the other car, Lando in the other car, whatever it is.
“Your team, we want to win the world championship again. This is a different McLaren. This isn’t the Ron Dennis McLaren. This is the real McLaren now and we’ve got the Mercedes engine still. It’s going to be a brilliant thing, come on, come to McLaren’.
“I think Lewis will go back to McLaren if he really doesn’t want to race for Ferrari anymore. What I’m saying is, I don’t think that Ferrari scenario would necessarily force him into retirement. It would just maybe open him up to maybe going back to McLaren.
Hamilton will continue at Ferrari next season with Leclerc
“I can’t see him going back to Merc, or him fitting in at Merc. But I think he could go back to McLaren on the basis that it’s a different team. That’s where he started. Go back to them, Rwanda, the whole thing. Zak would love all that. So I think that could happen.”
Windsor added: “I mean, I’m not suggesting that would happen in the sense of clickbait, but I’m just saying that’s the only team I can imagine him going to other than retiring.
“If he can’t go to McLaren, then he’s fed up with Ferrari. Yeah. He probably would retire, I suspect.”
Hamilton made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007 and won his maiden world title the following season. He left the team at the end of 2012 to complete his switch to Mercedes for 2013.
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