It’s been 25 months since Hamilton last won a race in F1, by some margin the longest drought he has endured since bursting onto the scene in 2007.
Now 39, and saddled with less-than-spectacular Mercedes machinery for two years, the seven-time world champion could be forgiven for deciding that it was time to do something else. But it’s clear in our interview this week that this is not the case.
Whether it’s because he feels there is unfinished business after the way 2021 ended, a desire to overtake Michael Schumacher with an eighth title, or simply a love for the sport, Hamilton is still motivated. And he believes that he has the team around him to give him a chance to challenge 2023 dominators Verstappen and Red Bull.
Much of our issue this week is dedicated to the rebooted Autosport show, which kicks off the European motorsport season today (Thursday). We pick out the star names and cars, explain the key areas of the ‘A24’ event and include interviews with two stage guests, Ferrari Le Mans winner James Calado and four-time British Touring Car champion Ash Sutton.
At the same time as things kick off at Birmingham’s NEC, the 10th Formula E season gets under way in Mexico. Stefan Mackley highlights the main themes to watch in our preview before heading off to cover the event for autosport.com and next week’s magazine.
The Autosport National Rankings track all the race winners in the UK each season. This week Stephen Lickorish speaks to the 2023 winner and Marcus Simmons reveals the top 100 in our table.
As well as all that, it’s also time for our latest free Autosport Engineering issue. The multiple powerplants battling it out in truck racing, new Chevrolet Corvette and F2 machinery, and BriSCA short-oval racers all feature in the 28-page supplement.
For the best motorsport coverage, from F1 to Britain’s club-racing scene via the Le Mans 24 Hours, why not get Autosport magazine delivered to your door each week? Subscribe today and never miss your weekly fix of motorsport.
