Mercedes should give Hamilton freedom - Hill

Damon Hill believes that Mercedes must give Lewis Hamilton freedom to do as he pleases, or they will risk losing him to a rival.

Hamilton has enjoyed a vibrant lifestyle in the past number of years, always popping up in a different country or spending time with celebrity friends. His way of life has been criticised by some, with parts of the F1 community claiming he is not dedicated enough to motorsport. 

However, 1996 world champion Hill believes that Mercedes must not contain the Brit, as they may end up in a similar position to why Hamilton left McLaren at the end of 2012. 

"Lewis is an emotional beast and there might be a situation where he just goes: ‘I’ve had enough and I don’t want to do it’," Hill said. "That’s true for every driver but some don’t have the luxury he has, as he might be in demand somewhere else."

"He is in a strong position. Mercedes have to recognize they either want Lewis Hamilton, the asset that he is to them and allowing him the space to do his work, or they don’t. If it’s not going well for Lewis, then he does have a tendency to make his feelings known."

"If they overplay what Toto was saying about managing the drivers after what happened in Abu Dhabi, there is the chance he might go again," Hill said.

"Like we saw at McLaren with Ron Dennis and his controlling way and Lewis saying: ‘I don’t want this. I’m out.’ That’s the fine line."

Fergal Walsh