Merely just a few months since Lewis Hamilton was battling Max Verstappen for his eighth World Championship, there are already calls for him to retire following his and Mercedes sub-par start to the season.
It would seem ridiculous to write off arguably the greatest racing driver of all time, so early on into the season despite his struggles in the new era of racing. Not for the head of Red Bull's driver development program, Helmut Marko, who strikingly suggested Hamilton should have retired following last year's battle.
The Red Bull man did not hold back when asked about how he felt when Verstappen lapped Hamilton during the race on Sunday.
"Maybe he is thinking he should have stopped last year."
The ever-outspoken Brit did not take long to hit back at Marko, posting a cryptic message on Instagram, that clearly was indirectly targeted at Marko's recent comments, stating "I'll be the one to decide when its finished."
Marko has been criticised, most glaringly by former driver and now Sky Sports pundit Johnny Herbert, who said "What a cheap shot. Typical Helmut Marko and Red Bull to be honest." Further mentioning about Lewis' incredible pace towards the end of the year that gave us a battle for the ages.
And it's hard to argue with, Hamilton was on fire in the final part of the year, and if it wasn't for the highly controversial decision by the FIA and Michael Masi, Lewis would most likely be an eight-time World Champion.
Lewis of course is currently not in the position to hit back on track, with Mercedes still struggling to unlock the W13's true pace, but the Brit is a one-of-a-kind driver and there is no doubt he will be back.
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