Jacques Villeneuve thinks the end of the 2021 season was good for Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton lost the world title to Max Verstappen and according to Villeneuve, the Brit needs to attack aggressively to take his eighth title in 2022.
Villeneuve let it be known to Motorsport.com that he thought the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was good for Formula 1. In that race, a controversial decision by the race control allowed Verstappen to take over the lead from Hamilton on the last lap and thus take his first world title.
Villeneuve says it's especially good for the sport because Hamilton must now embark on a comeback. The 1997 World Champion says Hamilton must be aggressive to take back the title in 2022. Villeneuve did admit that the way Hamilton lost the title was somewhat controversial, but he says that this is always the case when the title is decided in the last race.
Hamilton himself has still not reacted after losing the world title in 2021. The Mercedes driver has been inactive on social media and there are even rumors circulating that the seven-time World Champion is retiring. Villeneuve is also not yet sure that Hamilton will be on the grid in 2022.
The Canadian is referring to Nico Rosberg's retirement in 2016, something no one saw coming at the time. Rosberg announced his retirement a few days after winning the world title. According to Villeneuve, for now it remains a guess as to whether Hamilton will continue.
The best way to settle this would be for Lewis to come back in 22 and win his 8th title. Against strong opposition that would show what a competitive driver he is. Even were he to fail he would have at least competed as strongly as he could and to the very best of his ability. It's possible that the guy has list his mojo. It happens. If he has its not the end of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if some of his ire isn't directed against Toto & Co. for not bringing him in for fresh tyres. It was clear from how he questioned that during the race that he wasn't happy about it.
Rosberg and Villeneuve share a common trait with eleven years in Formula One. They are “one hit WDC wonders after failing ten times. They seem so bitter.? Hamilton was just more successful with 15 years in Formula One. Lewis achieved seven WDCs and he failed In another eight WDC campaigns. While 2021 is under review and scrutiny, Lewis still earns $55 million per year because he earned his success. So why retire in his prime, really?
Topic: Villenueve doubts Hamilton will come back If LH doesn’t return, i will have zero respect for him and have less respect for his accomplishments. With more parity in F1, he can prove to the world how truly great he is. By not racing he only reinforces the doubters. (of which I’m slowly becoming one!) By not racing in 22, he will let down his fans, especially; the fanatical ones on this blog. No one can seriously argue for LH if he doesn’t race this season! Deep down, I want LH to prove me wrong, Winners/heroes run to challenges NOT run from them! Man up LH!
All of you " fans " that think SLH will retire are going to be sorely disappointed when he comes back for his title and wipes the floor with the little boy wonder ( Netflix champ) ! SLH is a real racer that tries to go for every apex unlike someone (MV) who just throws a car into a corner expecting the other driver to pull out or run them wide anybody could drive like that f**k I could do that, but it takes skill and finnesse to go for the apex at every try and 7 WDC titles show that !!
You could drive like Max Verstappen?? And then you wake up and your coffee is cold and your bed is wet!.
Well let's agree to disagree on the "shafted by the fia" part. Let's just enjoy the 2022 season. Thanks for the chat, mate!
Finally we can agree on something. Just to let you know I'm not a MV fan or LH fan I can't stand him outside the helmet but there's no denying the fact that he is one of the greatest. You don't get signed by McLaren when you are 13 years old if you can't drive fast and have incredible skill behind the wheel but what happened to him was outrageous and wrong he got absolutely shafted by the FIA !!
I am not a Max fan, I am a Ferrari fan. I just don't like arrogant conceited people of which Shamilton is a prime example.
? I was trying to put it into simple terms for a simple person to understand but you obv don't !! It seems to me that your Scarlett tinted glasses have turned orange. I think a name change would be more appropriate. You should be on here Biggin up sainz and leclerc but all you seem to do is defend the Netflix champ ?
Anybody with an IQ bigger than a turnip will then write it like that!
Anybody with an IQ bigger than a turnip will know that I was referring to driving a car and just throwing it into the corner with absolutely no hope of going for the apex and just using the car like a bumper car !!
Your argument is pointless. There was not a chance of LH keeping that red bull car behind, it's common f**king sense that 3 or 4 lap old soft tyres would beat 44 lap old hard tyres come on ! Forever tainted title
Exactly, no chance of LH keeping that car behind him , but amazing that Checo could keep Hamilton behind him on worn tires!
Checo is not point. Tactically RB withdrew his car for fear of it stopping on track and causing a further yellow flag. Very clever of a team with the better strategy. Merc could not even get Hamilton's tire strategy right, but chose to blame Masi for their own mistakes.
Ham was obv worried about getting taken out by another RBR driver and ruining his chances at the title but Masi changed that anyway. And what did checo do to his car in that process ?? Where did checo classify?
Mercy poor gamble on tires isn’t RBs fault. It was a gamble, they bet it all and lost. No more of a tainted title than 2020 when LHs car had no challengers. The car won it all, any of the top drivers would have achieved the same. That’s why George is chomping at the bit to get behind one. It’s a gift to a WDC.
How was it a poor call on tyres?? It would have been the perfect tyre strategy if MASI hadn't "bent" the normal safety call procedure!! MV couldn't even close the gap after he stopped behind the VSC, LH was increasing the gap on older tyres ??
all ex-f1 drivers calling lucy a sore loser, cry baby and whiner.....us fans think the same and he is too ashamed to continue because he lost despite having a rocketship...ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
Rosberg and Hamilton are not the same. Rosberg had a goal of becoming a champion. That's it. He achieved that and then he lost motivation, cause his goal in F1 was done. Some people are like that. And then they find something different. For Hamilton it's about numbers and records. He wants as many championships as possible. So nothing to compare between Rosberg and Hamilton. Mercedes has the biggest chance of building quickest car again with biggest budget, I don't see Hamilton quitting having the chance for best car yet again.
Had the situation been reversed in Abu Dhabi would those saying that Lewis was robbed of his eighth title have been.shouting as loudly that Max had been robbed of his first title? Would they have been calling for Massi to be fired? Or would they now be arguing that Max is a sore loser and that Lewis confirmed that he's the greatest ever F1 driver for his brilliant strategy in seizing the lead on the last lap?
No they would not. They are just Lewis cult members. You can see that by them not being supportive for Lewis, but trying to be negative against Max. They have chosen negativity over positivity.
The reality is that come the last race when the pressure was on, it was Lewis who finished Max off. Beat him off the start and lead the entire race and Max had no answer to Lewis. Red Bull needed a miracle. Then they got one from Masi. That was the one and only reason Max was able to overtake on brand new tyres. If anyone causes Lewis to quit it will be Masi and the FIA, not Max because Lewis knows, when the crunch came, he had him beaten. That is the reality. And if Lewis quits, your life will be even more empty than it is now. You'll have no-one to rag on and that will kill you.
Lewis had him for most of the race, but the pressure came on the last lap, and there Lewis choked and opened the door for Max! I know, I know, you are going to say tires! But he had the lead, and Checo defended for more than a lap on old tyres, Alonso defended for more than a lap on old tyres, yet the supposedly 7 times champ with the faster car, could not, Sorry mate, that is choking!!!
Choked his world title under the pressure he had. Not lose it. Competition is going to be even more this season. Lewis would rather quit than show his true colors with racing being closer.
In the last race, the points were equal and the most pressure was on. Who choked off the start? Who couldn't keep up with the leader all through the race despite putting on new tyres halfway through? Max Verstappen. He had no answer to Lewis in Abu Dhabi and Red Bull needed a miracle. Luckily for Max, Masi provided that miracle and allowed Max an easy win. Lewis never put a foot wrong in that race and he certainly didn't choke. The only way Max would ever win the title would be for it to be given to him from outside influences. That is what happened. You have no idea how competition will be in 2022. You're speculating based off the media, but the reality is you're clueless. Lewis has gone through his career stating that he prefers close racing because the end result, if you win, is was more satisfactory. All you have are dumb words and ignorant rhetoric. Hardly surprising coming from you.
Lewis has gone through his career stating that he prefers close racing because the end result, if you win, is was more satisfactory. So Sir Scamilton got his wish didn't he ?