More determined than ever and now back in the classic Silver Arrow: Lewis Hamilton is ready for the thrilling revenge in the Formula 1 world title fight - again in a good mood - emphasized the 37-year-old record world champion on Friday at the presentation of the new Mercedes W13: "I never said that I would stop.
I love what I do.” When asked about a possible end to his career, Hamilton had to smile.
And he wants to continue that with the sole title record.
"It's the attack mode," emphasized team boss Toto Wolff and announced despite the short winter break: "Our batteries are charged because we have a bill to pay."
After two years in the black painted Silver Arrow as a sign against racism, Hamilton and his new teammate George Russell are now racing in the silver look again.
Due to the extensive rule changes, especially in the aerodynamic area, the racing cars of the current Formula 1 generation are otherwise completely new.
Only the steering wheel was taken over from the previous model, emphasized Mercedes.
What is striking about the new W13 – the 13th model since Mercedes returned as a works team for the 2010 season – are the slim sidepods, among other things.
Ferrari caused a stir on Thursday with a far more expansive version and spectacular deepening.
Red Bull hadn't really shown much in its early presentation of the car for world champion Max Verstappen.
Above all, Hamilton can and wants to further polish his already famous statistics.
103 race wins, 103 pole positions, seven world titles.
With the eighth triumph, he would overtake Michael Schumacher, whom he once replaced in the 2013 season at the Silver Arrows.
The fact that Hamilton's new teammate no longer wears a red helmet, but mostly in black, is also related to Schumacher.
"I thought a red helmet in a Mercedes, that was very Michael Schumacher," explained Russell.
The 24-year-old Briton wanted to respect that.
With the driver combination Hamilton/Russell, Mercedes combines two generations and should increase the clout of the team, which last year won the constructors' championship for the eighth time in a row.
During a temporary assignment at the end of 2020 in a Mercedes for Hamilton, who was suffering from Corona at the time, Russell only missed a win due to bad luck and breakdowns.
Now he drives with Hamilton.
"Lewis was a superhero to me," Russell said.
Driving with him is a “privilege”.
Hamilton is now starting his tenth season for Mercedes, and his contract is valid beyond this season until the end of 2023.
According to Wolff on Friday, he never had any doubts that Hamilton could stop after the Abu Dhabi drama.
"We always knew that wasn't going to happen," he said.
However, during Hamilton's complete withdrawal from the public, Wolff also said something like this: "I very much hope that we will see him again.
It's the most important part of our sport.
It would be a disgrace for the whole of Formula 1 if the best driver decided to retire because of outrageous decisions.”
Wolff saw it as an encouraging sign that the Fia wants to support the newly appointed race management via video referee, among other things.
Michael Masi, whose decisions made Verstappen's all-important overtaking maneuver against Hamilton on the Yas Marina Circuit possible in the first place, was dismissed by the International Automobile Association one day before the Mercedes presentation.
Hamilton initially did not comment on this in more detail, but explained why he disappeared from public view for several weeks after the race and the accolade a few days later.
"I had to take a step back.
I had my family around me, it was a great time.”