Former F1 racer Martin Brundle has warned
Lewis Hamilton that his chances of winning the title this season would be hit by the ongoing speculation about his future.
Hamilton is out of contract with
McLaren at the end of the year and has been linked with move to Mercedes for the 2013 season as a result, with the Briton insisting he
won't discuss his future this weekend in Singapore.
However, with the 2012 title race still to be decide, Brundle warned that Hamilton was risking his chances of overhauling
Fernando Alonso in the championship the longer the speculation drags on.
“I think it's difficult as Lewis will get asked about it this weekend,” he was quoted by the
Evening Standard. “Lewis isn't very good in that situation, in that he tends to leave more questions than answers.
“Lewis can win the world title if he really gets his act together but the big question is whether he can do that with all this going on. When he's in the right mood, I genuinely think he's unbeatable but, from the outside looking in, it's difficult.
“If he decides to join Mercedes,
McLaren have a real issue as they'll need to think about what development and knowledge to impart to a driver that will be leaving the team. That's when it will become very difficult for him and them.”
Brundle, who said he felt Hamilton was the big threat to Alonso in the title race, added that he was unsure what decision the 2008 title winner would ultimately take.
“There's the chance for a big refit in
Formula One then, so that will be on his mind,” he said, making reference to the new engine rules come into play for 2014.. “I have some inside information here and there but I just don't know.
“This situation is a bit different in that the negotiations are happening in public and there's a lot of positioning going on, leading to information and misinformation, so it's difficult to know what Lewis will really do.”