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2024 is a year where several F1 drivers would be at the crossroads of their careers. These drivers would be looking at the season as a pivotal point where they might have to take some tough calls on the next pertinent step of their career.
At the same time there are a few drivers who are getting along in life, bringing about a change in their aspirations and hopes for the sport. The 2024 season would be crucial for these drivers too as it would help them decide whether they want to continue being part of the grid or leave it altogether.
In this feature, let's take a look at three drivers that are at the crossroads, and for whom this year might be the one where they call time on their career.
#3 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
You just have to wonder what would happen if Mercedes is not capable of fighting for the title next season. What if the team finds itself in a similar situation as the recently concluded season, where the car was just slower than Red Bull and couldn't challenge Max Verstappen at all?
In that situation, will Lewis Hamilton be willing to grind for another year, scraping through for a rare podium and fighting in the midfield? Is that something that will attract him now?
This is a very intriguing question, because in no way has Hamilton's motivation waned. He's still at it when it comes to producing results with the car.
However, he's also someone who's knocking on the doors of being a 40-year-old. And he's someone who's fought for the title eight times in the last 10 years.
When one has achieved the kind of success that Hamilton has, it does beg to question of whether he would be willing to drag an uncompetitive Mercedes for another season.
Add the fact that other than Mercedes almost every other slot in the top teams (except Ferrari) is already filled, and it's safe to say Hamilton could well call time on his F1 career and retire.
#2 Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri)
The 2024 F1 season would be crucial for Daniel Ricciardo's career. Not only because the upcoming year is where he can prove to Red Bull that he's a potential replacement for Sergio Perez but also because 2024 will help him judge where he stands in terms of his driving level alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo has made it clear that his goal while being in F1 is to challenge for race wins and be a part of a setup that helps him achieve that. That is precisely why he was willing to move to AlphaTauri and team up with Tsunoda.
Having said that, while this opportunity has been granted to the Australian, it also comes with the caveat that if he is unable to deliver, his hopes of replacing Perez would well and truly be over.
If that is the case, will he be willing to just race in F1 and drive less than competitive cars? That might not be desirable for Ricciardo and we could see him call time in his F1 career at the end of the season.
#1 Nico Hulkenberg (Haas F1)
Nico Hulkenberg has appeared frustrated with the lack of progress and Haas' efforts at improving the car.
The German came back to racing in 2023 after a three-year hiatus. His performances showed that he has not lost a step, as he annihilated Kevin Magnussen in qualifying this season.
Having said that, the lack of development or even the intent to improve the car at Haas seems to have put Hulkenberg off. He was quite vocal about the failure of the major upgrade brought by the team in the F1 race in Austin.
He ran the last F1 race of the season without the upgrade and still managed to completely outclass Magnussen, who had the upgrade on the car. Unless Haas shows significant improvement next season, it's hard to see Hulkenberg continue to grind away with the team.
The German has been linked to a seat with Audi's ongoing takeover at Sauber. But the progress of that setup has not been that impressive, and even Hulkenberg has been a bit ambivalent when it comes to the prospects of moving to the Hinwil-based team.
One could envision Hulkenberg looking to move out of the Haas setup as soon as he gets a chance. Given his frustration, that could well mean he ends up leaving F1 for good.
