F1: Lewis Hamilton's potential retirement linked to Fernando Alonso move

Lewis Hamilton's potential retirement from Formula 1 could be directly linked to Fernando Alonso choosing to join Aston Martin, says Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz. The Spaniard caused a furore in the paddock when he decided to ditch Alpine F1 for the Silverstone-based team.

Alonso had indicated that he will remain with Alpine F1 for the 2023 season before a sudden U-Turn saw him signing a multi-year deal with Aston Martin. The French team's chief Otmar Szafnauer admitted that it caught the team by surprise as they only became aware when the press got wind of the move.

The decision to quit Alpine reportedly came after they refused to accept Alonso's demand for a multi-year deal. The two-time F1 world champion was wooed by Aston Martin with a lucrative offer after their current driver, Sebastian Vettel, announced his retirement prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Kravitz feels Alonso's move to Aston Martin will allow Mercedes, who are the engine suppliers, to keep tabs on the Spanish racer. The Sky Sports F1 expert feels they could move to sign him in the event Hamilton suddenly decides to walk away from the sport after the 2023 season.

"What it also does do is reunite Fernando with the Mercedes engine family, which I think is an interesting angle," Kravitz wrote on Sky Sports.

"Fernando hasn't been powered by Mercedes since he left McLaren the first time round under a bit of a cloud 15 years ago. So this would have needed a sign-off from Toto Wolff, which it obviously got."

"Is it ridiculous to think that Mercedes wanted Fernando back in their family just to see what he was like?"

"Should Lewis decide he was to leave for whatever reason, and they need a world champion to put alongside George, would it not be the end of the world if Mercedes had a bit of visibility in what Fernando was like, even as a 41-year-old?" he added.

Hamilton has not given any indication that he wants to leave the sport. The 37-year-old seems determined to bring Mercedes back to the top after a difficult start to the 2022 season, which sees them trailing Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari in the championship.