Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD
Lewis aims for F1 history but warned: I’m only looking at the next 12 months.. I will only carry on if I still have a smile when I go out to race
LEWIS HAMILTON insists winning a record eighth world title will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year.
Hamilton, 36, is revving up his bid for another title, which would move him one clear of Michael Schumacher as the most decorated driver in the sport’s history.
But the Briton’s pursuit of unprecedented glory may well be his last hurrah in F1 after deciding to extend his contract with Mercedes, believed to be worth £40million, by only one year.
And the recently knighted Sir Lewis insists he only ever wanted a short-term contract.
Hamilton, whose title defence gets underway in
Bahrain on March 28, said: “Of course, winning an eighth title is the ultimate dream, but I don’t think it will be the deciding factor as to whether I stay or keep going.
“I got into racing because I love racing and that has to be the core of what I do. If all you are going for is accolades and titles, I feel like I could lose my way.
“It is whether I still have that smile when I put on that helmet and leave the garage and whether I still enjoy it. I am in the fortunate position where I have achieved most of the stuff that I wanted to, so there is no real need to plan too far into the future.
“We are living in an unusual period of time. I just wanted one year, then we can talk about if we do more and keep adding to it by one if we have to.
“But I am fully invested in this season and delivering. I am still very committed to the sport.”
Hamilton was speaking yesterday as Mercedes finally unveiled the car he hopes will take him to a record-breaking F1 title.
The 2021 car retains last year’s black livery, introduced to reinforce the team’s commitment to improving diversity, with elements of silver, burgundy and green.
The British ace will again be partnered by Valtteri Bottas (above), whose contract is also expiring at the end of the season.
That leaves the Silver Arrows facing an uncertain 2022 line-up, with George Russell, 23, pushing for a promotion after a third and final year on loan at Williams.
However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has long been seen as the heir to Hamilton’s throne. Mercedes chief exective Toto Wolff ’s focus is on Hamilton. He said: “The fact we’ve had so much success together and the relationship we have will mean any conversations we have on the future will first be with him.” race of 17
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WE were treated to another exciting week on the PGA Tour with the added spice of a WGC title to quicken the heart rate.
Concession golf course was the real winner as it threw up a very different test to most other weeks and the change identified the most complete player on show: Collin Morikawa.
It was the Californian’s fourth top-10 finish in six outings and his third win in seven months dating back to last year’s triumph at the Workday Charity Open.
Golf fans are always guilty of predicting ‘the next big thing’ as it is always fun to gaze into the future, but there’s no doubt Morikawa ticks a lot of boxes.
At only 24, his numbers are sparkling with four wins in only 42 starts including a maiden Major at last year’s PGA Championship. And now he has a WGC title on his CV.
An interesting aspect of his rise is the fact most of his high profile successes, including his Major win at Harding Park, have come without the full glare of a packed house.
Some might argue a lack of spectators and the scrutiny that brings takes away from his achievements, but I’d argue the opposite.
A lot of top names have struggled to step up in the current climate, so for me Morikawa has shown a level of maturity to deliver on such a surreal stage.
The big question now is, are we witnessing a player destined to spend the remainder of his career at the very top?
It’s dangerous to predict in top level sport, where the margins between joy and mediocrity are miniscule, but the signs are good.
He’s up to fourth in the world rankings – a career high – and I like how he thinks and navigates his way around a course.
He’s a bit of an outlier in the sense he’s a young player who doesn’t possess the kind of nouveau power game many believe is a prerequisite for a top career these days.
But the fact he has done most of his learning through playing rather than on machines is testament to his coach who has taught him not to overcomplicate his game.
In the heat of battle, Morikawa focuses on execution, not perfection, and that calm, composed approach allied with a superb iron game is paying off.
He had a good supporting cast in Florida alongside Viktor Hovland, who gave readers a good run for their money with a T2 finish at 20/1.
You could argue Hovland, who is only 23 and has a win and five top-fives in his last seven outings, is in the same bracket as the Californian.
But serial winning creates hype and it’s Morikawa riding the hype train five weeks out from Augusta.