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Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he will remain in F1 until he has won an eighth world title in an intriguing lie detector test.

The Mercedes driver took part in the test before the 2023 season-opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Tasked with answering a series of questions with Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby, Hamilton was pushed on whether he will stay in the sport until he has claimed another title.

Should the 38-year-old win another drivers’ championship, he would surpass Michael Schumacher as the most decorated driver in the sport’s history, though the early signs for this season after a weekend to forget for Mercedes, with Hamilton coming home fifth.

After Lazenby’s question, Hamilton can be seen pausing to consider his answer, then responding with real conviction: “Yes.” The answer is then confirmed as being truthful.

Follow the latest news in Formula 1 with The Independent

F1 news – latest: Can Mercedes even build a ‘Plan B’ car in time to salvage season?

Comment by Kieran Jackson

Never mind waiting for the first race of the Formula 1 season. A weekend of testing, three practice sessions and qualifying in Bahrain has told Toto Wolff everything he needed to know.

No sandbagging. No magic fix. No hiding. Mere hours into the 2023 campaign the Mercedes boss – once the unflappable executive titan of the sport – cut a despondent figure speaking to the press in the late hours on Saturday. Acknowledging that his team’s persistence, bordering on stubbornness, had been a mistake, he revealed a change of tack is already in the pipeline.

Speaking after George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth and seventh respectively, the Austrian stated: “I don’t think that this package is going to be competitive eventually.

“We gave it our best go over the winter and now we all just need to regroup, sit down with the engineers, be totally non-dogmatic and ask what is the development direction we want to pursue in order to be able to win races.”

As sporting U-turns go, this is pretty seismic. Race weekend No 1 of 23: rip it up and start over.

Toto Wolff insists Mercedes need to change their approach already after falling behind Aston Martin at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix – yet at what point could a ‘Plan B’ car realistically come to fruition?

F1 news – latest: What makes Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner tick?

Exclusive interview by Kieran Jackson

When Netflix first premiered Drive to Survive in 2019, an attempt by Formula 1’s new owners Liberty to broaden the sport’s murky horizon, the onus was on your Hamiltons, your Vettels and your Verstappens to haul in that untapped audience. Like any serial drama, you need a protagonist. But there can only be one star of the show.

Little did people think it’d be Guenther Steiner.

“It’s all about the underdog story,” the 57-year-old tells The Independent, when asked why the Haas-centred episodes have the viewers at peak excitement upon the release of each show. A show, he is eager to add, he does not watch.

The popular Haas team principal speaks to Kieran Jackson about his rise to fame, why he has no regrets about signing Nikita Mazepin and how he keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground

F1 news – latest: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff despondent after Bahrain GP

Toto Wolff revealed the Bahrain Grand Prix was “one of his worst days in racing” as he insists Mercedes need “radical” change to their car.

As Red Bull dominated with Max Verstappen leading home a comfortable one-two finish, Mercedes were woefully short of pace – losing around a second-a-lap to the Red Bulls.

While Lewis Hamilton made up places early on, the seven-time world champion couldn’t hold off Fernando Alonso’s roaring Aston Martin and could only manage fifth in the end.

George Russell finished behind the other Aston Martin – Lance Stroll – to come home seventh and despite showing slight improvements over the weekend from a tricky testing period, it marks a difficult start to the season for the Silver Arrows.

And Wolff was particularly despondent after the racing, telling Sky Sports: “One of my worst days in racing, lacking pace left right and centre.

“Aston Martin have the pace, they deserve it, the Red Bulls are on a different planet. They’re so far ahead it hurts, it reminds me of our years when we were a second a lap ahead of everyone else.”

Mercedes were no match for Red Bull or the rejuvenated Aston Martin at the season-opening race

F1 news – latest: Lewis Hamilton talks on back burner as Mercedes focus on reversing slow start

Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One future is set to be put on hold as Mercedes attempt to resolve their miserable start to the new season.

Hamilton finished fifth at the opening round in Bahrain on Sunday – 51 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen – with team-mate George Russell seventh. The seven-time world champion’s contract expires at the end of the season, and speculation is rife that he could stall on a new deal if Mercedes fail to reverse their slump.

Asked if the Silver Arrows will put a Plan B in place if Hamilton does not commit to an extension, team principal Toto Wolff said: “There is no point talking about the driver situation for 2024.

“That is far too early. We have to all push in the same direction, the drivers, engineers and management, rather the throwing in the towel. We have never done that and we will not do that now.”

Speaking in the build-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton, 38, said only a catastrophe would prevent him from extending his stay with Mercedes. But his comments came before he hit the track and the extent of his team’s troubles were exposed.

Hamilton was fifth in Bahrain, with Max Verstappen a comfortable winner, while George Russell finished seventh

F1 news – latest: George Russell makes chilling prediction at Bahrain Grand Prix

George Russell summed up the mood in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday night when he chillingly predicted Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team will win all 23 races this year.

Defending world champion Verstappen picked up where he left off with a crushing display to take the chequered flag at Formula One’s season opener in Sakhir, crossing the line 11 seconds clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.

As Verstappen dominated, 41-year-old Fernando Alonso provided the spark to a tame race as he duelled with old foe Lewis Hamilton to claim the final spot on the podium. Hamilton finished fifth.

But Alonso, albeit in a rejuvenated Aston Martin, took the chequered flag nearly 40 seconds behind Verstappen, with Hamilton 51 adrift.

“Red Bull have got this championship sewn up and I don’t think anybody will be fighting with them this year,” said Russell, who finished seventh on a sobering evening for Mercedes.

Mercedes driver Russell admitted after the season opener in Bahrain that his team are ‘a long way behind’

That Alonso move down the inside!

Terrific racing!

F1 news – latest: Lewis Hamilton’s one-word answer reveals intent over F1 future

Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he will remain in F1 until he has won an eighth world title.

The Mercedes driver took part in a lie detector test before the 2023 season-opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Tasked with answering a series of questions with Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby, Hamilton was pushed on whether he will stay in the sport until he has claimed another title.

Should the 38-year-old win another drivers’ championship, he would surpass Michael Schumacher as the most decorated driver in the sport’s history, though the early signs are not promising, at least for Bahrain this weekend.

After Lazenby’s question, Hamilton can be seen pausing to consider his answer, then responding with real conviction: “Yes.” The answer is then confirmed as being truthful.

Hamilton also spoke truthfully in the lie detector test when asked if he had ever lied to his team boss Wolff, though he did fib when saying he could beat team-mate George Russell in an arm wrestle.

Lewis Hamilton takes a lie detector test

F1 news – latest: Charles Leclerc left devastated after retiring at Bahrain Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc suffered a devastating start to the 2023 F1 season after retiring while in third place.

The Ferrari driver ended the Bahrain Grand Prix after 41 laps with the team confirming there was an engine problem, rather than the power unit.

The Monegasque driver remarked: “No, no, no! Come on, what happened guys? No power.” A virtual safety car followed, costing Leclerc a probable 15 points and a season-opening podium place.

Leclerc kept his composure after his race finished and could be seen drinking a bottle of water before gathering his things to return to the garage.

The Ferrari driver endured a heartbreaking start to the 2023 season

F1 news – latest: Red Bull’s Christian Horner backed to be F1 CEO over current boss Stefano Domenicali

Christian Horner has been backed to become the next CEO of Formula 1 – by the sport’s former supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Horner, the boss at Red Bull, is the sport’s longest serving team principal having been in charge of the current world champions since 2005.

The 49-year-old executive is overseeing Red Bull’s current domination of the sport, having won both world championships at a canter last year and claiming a one-two finish at the 2023 season-opener on Sunday with Max Verstappen, the double world champion, triumphant in Bahrain.

But Ecclestone – who caused controversy last year after stating he would “take a bullet” for Russian president Vladimir Putin – insists Horner should aim for the sport’s top job next.

“If you had to pick anyone today, I’d say he [Horner] would be as good as there is,” 92-year-old Ecclestone said.

Horner has been team principal at Red Bull since 2005 while Domenicali has been in charge of F1 for two years

F1 news – latest: Alex Albon joyous post-Bahrain

The joy at scoring your first point of the season!

Alex Albon was thrilled after finishing 10th for Williams at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.