Martin Brundle tells Lewis Hamilton ‘don’t get angry, get even’ in 2022 F1 title race

Brundle has predicted that Hamilton will be a ‘force of nature’ in 2022

Lewis Hamilton will again seek an eighth world title in 2022 (Getty Images)

Martin Brundle has urged Lewis Hamilton to “get even” by winning the 2022 Formula 1 world title.

Hamilton was controversially denied a record eighth Drivers’ Championship on the final lap of the 2021 F1 season, with Max Verstappen producing a race and title winning overtake after a contentious restart process after a period behind a safety car.

They were circumstances that left the beaten Mercedes driver “disillusioned” with the sport, with the 37-year-old silent publicly and on social media for several months as he supposedly considered his future.

Having now committed to a return, Hamilton is again gearing up for a potential duel with Verstappen, while Ferrari’s performance in preseason testing suggests Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc could also thrust themselves into the title mix.

Brundle, who started more than 150 races as an F1 driver and is now a prominent pundit and commentator, has predicted that Hamilton will be a “force of nature”.

“It’s don’t get angry - get even!” Brundle told the Daily Mail of his message to Hamilton ahead of the new season, which begins in Bahrain this weekend.

“I can understand why he went on the missing list for a while on social media but I do think he’s back, he’s 37 years old but from what I saw of his driving last year, he was driving as well as I’ve ever seen him.

“Clearly fitness is not an issue, the drivers don’t get so many big shunts these days with the knocks on the head. He is physically in great shape and I think he’ll be a force of nature when he comes back.”

Hamilton has been joined at Mercedes by a new partner in compatriot George Russell, who replaces Valtteri Bottas.

Verstappen’s late pass meant the 37-year-old missed out on a fifth consecutive crown.

While rumours swirled about a potential retirement for Hamilton after a contentious end to his 15th year in the sport, Brundle did not ever feel like the driver would not be coming back.

Of the retirement discussion, Brundle said: “I didn’t buy into that at all.. what else is he going to do? Why would he walk away from Mercedes? It’s what he loves doing, it’s what he’s best at, he’s a massive contender for greatest of all time... Lewis was just regrouping.”