Why Button is convinced Hamilton won’t quit F1 just yet
Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the season and the 38-year-old is yet to put pen to paper on an extension with the Silver Arrows.
Despite speculation he could retire from F1 at the end of the season, Hamilton has expressed his desire to continue and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has indicated that a new deal is something of a formality.
2009 F1 world champion Button believes his former McLaren teammate will be back racing in 2024 amid his quest to end Max Verstappen’s current domination and eclipse Michael Schumacher’s record for most world titles.
“I don’t think Lewis is going to walk away from the sport," Button said.
“As a racing driver, if you have been winning for so long and then you are suddenly not, you want to fight back to winning ways. You are not going to retire.
“If you are in a bad car for many years, you want to retire because it just gets you down, but Lewis is not in a bad car. He is just in a car that is not as good as what he has been used to, and I get that.
“But he knows the strength of the team, he knows how quick he still is, so he is going to work with this team to get back to fighting with Red Bull, and they will.
“It probably won’t be this year, but in 2024, we will see Lewis on the grid. He is still hungry to win another world championship.”
Miami win would make Perez proper title contender
Button also had his say on the 2023 F1 title fight between Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The pair are tied on two wins apiece after Perez’s victory in Baku last time out, a result which left the Mexican six points behind Verstappen in the championship.
A second consecutive win for Perez in Miami would see him lead the F1 world championship for the first time in his career, and Button reckons such a feat would make him a true title contender.
"I've been really impressed with Sergio," Button said.
"He did a really good job at the weekend [in Azerbaijan]. Back-to-back wins, if you like, with the sprint race and the main event. That will give him a lot of confidence.
“We haven't seen him throughout a season be as competitive as Max.
"Max has to be the toughest team-mate, because he just goes out there and gets it done.
"He is on it every weekend. Lewis is on it every weekend, although maybe not so with the car this year. That's the way they go racing and it's why they're so difficult to beat over a season.
"Consistency is where Sergio has been lacking. But if he can do it in Miami - kind of a street race as well - I think he has a chance to fight for the championship. And I didn't think I would be saying that - I really didn’t.
"It's good for the sport. Red Bull has an advantage at the moment and we need both of them to be fighting it out.
"It adds to the title fight, so 'come on Checo!'"
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