Lewis Hamilton retirement fears, Max Verstappen controversy and Ferrari dream

Lewis Hamilton took to the podium with tears in his eyes on Sunday after he secured his ninth British Grand Prix victory of his career - the most of anyone who has ever raced at Silverstone. As he looked over the 140,000-strong crowd, Hamilton may have been reminiscing over his 17-year career and wondering when he'd be hanging up the helmet.

The British driver will leave Mercedes at the end of the season and join Ferrari in a move that shocked F1 fans across the world. Hamilton has had what he described as an "absolutely incredible journey" with Mercedes but felt like the move to the red team was the right decision at the time.

Hamilton has not been short of controversy either in his career, with a World Championship title incident including Max Verstappen grabbing headlines in 2021.

Here, Express Sport round up some of the biggest headlines of Hamilton's career recently and discuss the potential possibility of the F1 great retiring in the future.

Denial of a record-breaking World Championship title

Lewis Hamilton admitted that he felt "robbed" of a record 8th World Championship title after a young Max Verstappen passed him right at the final hurdle to win his first title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During the race in 2021, FIA race director Michael Masi incorrectly used the F1 rulebook to force a restart on the final lap.

During this final lap, Verstappen overtook Hamilton and leapfrogged to his first title, leaving Hamilton and his team shocked by the initial decision. Masi's decisions were protested by Mercedes during the race but these were to no avail - and they later dropped their intention to take the matter to the FIA's Court of Appeal.

Masi was removed from his position in the months following and a report from the FIA admitted that there was "human error" during the race that Hamilton lost his title.

Hamilton has rarely spoken about this controversial race but did admit in an interview with GQ Magazine that he was "robbed" of the record. The driver said: "Was I robbed? Obviously. I mean, you know the story."

Hamilton previously praised his behaviour following the race, despite telling his Mercedes team over the radio that the outcome of the race had been "manipulated". He also noted: "This is the defining moment of my life. And I think it really was. I felt it. I didn't know how it was going to be perceived. I hadn't, like, visualised it. But I was definitely conscious of: these next 50 metres that I walk is where I fall to the ground and die -- or I rise up."

Despite this heartbreaking moment, Hamilton has come out since and noted that he is "at peace" with what happened, despite still "feeling" the pain of losing the title in such a dramatic and controversial fashion.

Thoughts of retirement and Hamilton's 'self-doubt'

After the loss of the world title in 2021, Hamilton admitted in an interview with AutoSport that he had dealt with self-doubt and had thought about retiring. When asked if retirement entered his mind, he said: "For sure, yeah. There was so much going through my mind during that period in time."

However, Hamilton did note that he didn't want to make such a monumental decision based on an instant emotion he was feeling and vowed to think about things with a clear mind. He added: "But I think one of the worst things you can do is make decisions based on emotions, because when you are emotional and in the heat of that moment, more often than not, you’re not going to make the best decisions.

"Emotions were high, it was a really, really difficult period of time, so I had to just wait until things calmed down, and that I was clear in my thought and I was able to then make the right decisions."

The driver has yet to make any admission on when he will retire, but many fans have speculated that his final season will be with Ferrari in 2025.

Criticism of Mercedes and shock twist to Ferrari

While Hamilton is well-known for praising his Mercedes team and the endless amount of fans following podium places and race wins, the driver has come out before and claimed Mercedes has ignored his pleas for support previously. The Guardian reported that Hamilton had claimed he wasn't "listened to" by Mercedes when discussing the development of his car.

Speaking on the BBC's Chequered Flag podcast, Hamilton said in 2023: "Last year, there were things I told them. I said the issues that are with the car. I’ve driven so many cars in my life. I know what a car needs. I know what a car doesn’t need.  I think it’s really about accountability. It’s about owning up and saying, ‘Yeah, you know what? We didn’t listen to you. It’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work'."

Since his 2021 title loss, Hamilton hadn't won another race in two and a half years as the team encountered a number of problems with the car. When asked after the Miami Grand Prix about Mercedes's demise, Hamilton said: "It’s been tough. Of course we exist to win and when you’re not winning, your perspective has to shift.

"It’s just been about chasing and it’s about improvement. It’s about coming together. How can we make improvements? How can we get back to where we want to be and rallying? I actually really enjoyed that experience. But three years in now, we’re like, okay, I’ve had enough of this, let’s get back to where we belong."

Hamilton will make the switch from Mercedes to Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season in a twist that shocked the world. Announcing the move, Hamilton said: "In the summer we signed, and obviously I, at that time, saw my future with Mercedes. But an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it. I feel like… it was obviously the hardest decision that I think I’ve ever had to make.

"Obviously I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think it’s like 26 years they’ve supported me, and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together. We’ve created history within the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.

"But I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter." Hamilton previously admitted his dream was always to race for Ferrari, which he will now fulfil next year. However, Mercedes' car has developed at a much higher rate than Ferrari's this season and they - alongside McLaren and Red Bull - appear to have the best car currently on the grid.

At the start of the season, it was widely viewed that Ferrari's car was much closer to Red Bull but the tables have since turned, which has led some to wonder if Hamilton will be regretting his decision now.

Record ninth British Grand Prix title

Hamilton secured a record-breaking ninth Silverstone race win, overtaking Michael Schumacher and his very own record of eight wins on a single circuit. The Brit's Grand Prix win at Silverstone also marked his first since Saudi Arabia two and a half seasons ago in 2021.

His reaction to the win was an emotional one and he admitted that there were days he "didn't feel good enough" at times in his career. Speaking about his dedication to the sport, Hamilton said: "It’s so tough, I think for anyone. I think the important thing is just how you continue to get up, and you’ve got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel.

"There’s definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn’t feel like I was good enough, or whether I was going to get back to where I am today, but the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me. My team, every time I turn up and see them putting in the effort, that really encouraged me to the same thing.

"Otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. A big, big thank you to everybody back at the factory, everyone here, I love you guys." The Brit remains in eighth position following his win at the weekend but he is now just one point behind team-mate Russell.