Mercedes give clear Lewis Hamilton 'welcome back' signal ahead of expected return and end to retirement talk

Lewis Hamilton has been officially welcomed back to Formula 1 by his Mercedes team — and is being backed to deliver a 'mic drop moment' this season. Hamilton broke his social media silence on Saturday to declare that he was «back», but Mercedes have now gone one further to all but declare the Brit will return in their colours for the opening race of the season in Bahrain on March 20.

Ad/> The 37-year-old Briton was said to be crestfallen at losing the 2021 title in heart-breaking fashion to Max Verstappen last November, but after some time away he appears to have made the decision to fight again for his eighth world title. Formula 1Horner: Key focus on 2022 in giving race director more support after Abu Dhabi drama15 HOURS AGO It has been reported by the Sun that he will return to Mercedes' Brackley base this week to be taken through the details on their new car.

The findings of an investigation into the events of that finale in Abu Dhabi are set to be made public soon, with Hamilton — and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff — keen to see that F1's hierarchy have accepted that change needs to be made. Hamilton hasn't given any interviews since that day, but Mercedes simulator driver Ant Davidson shared a window into what he believed his colleague would be feeling ahead of the new campaign.

Davidson said: «I can’t speak on behalf of Lewis but, as a driver, I would of course want to come back and have a proper mic drop moment. /> »If there was ever a way to motivate an athlete beyond anything you can imagine, it would be what happened to him last year in Abu Dhabi.

«You’d have to say the competition might have to fear that dwelling Lewis might have gone through. Hamilton says he's back after breaking social media silence