Recently honored by the Chamber of Deputies as an honorary citizen of Brazil, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, is doing poorly this season.

The driver has been more in the limelight because of his political and social stances than his performance on the track. This change has caused a stir, since the public is used to seeing him always on the top of the podium.

At the Monaco Grand Prix, the athlete's performance also left much to be desired, despite the expectations of sports fans and bettors. Websites such as Betwarrior received many bets on the outcome of the race, but Hamilton was far from the podium.

After a long time, the race has become more competitive, especially with the rise of Red Bull's Dutchman Max Verstappen. This will no doubt make online betting more interesting.

Hamilton's performance in 2022

So far, Formula 1, the world's leading international motorsport competition, has held nine races out of a total of 22. Lewis Hamilton has not won a single one. As a result, the Briton has 77 points, gained from two podiums, in sixth place in the overall drivers' championship standings.

However, such results are not very common for Hamilton. During his career, the Briton has won seven Formula One titles:

2008
2014
2015
2017
2018
2019
2020

With an extensive and extremely winning resume like Hamilton's, no one would bet imagining that the driver's situation in 2022 would not be good. Today, bookmaker odds place the European as a major underdog to win the title. However, Lewis has the experience to turn things around and pay good returns on his bets.

Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix

O desempenho insatisfatório de Hamilton em 2022 — Hamilton's poor performance in 2022

A popular betting site because it is a traditional circuit, the Monaco Grand Prix, held on May 29, was a very troubled race for Hamilton. He finished in eighth position - far from the podium.

His starting position was the same as at the end. In other words, he was unable to impose his pace on his opponents. Lewis was "stuck" behind Spain's Fernando Alonso and France's Esteban Ocon, both from the Alpine team.

The Englishman was also punished with a five-second delay for the only time he attacked Ocon. Those who placed bets on Hamilton ended up losing money.

The victory in the race went to the Mexican Sergio Perez. This track is always very complicated, as it is narrow and does not allow for much overtaking. To make matters worse, it rained a lot, which even affected the drivers' visibility.

And for the rest of the season, what can Lewis Hamilton expect?

The Formula 1 lead in 2022 lies with Max Verstappen, who has 175 points and six wins. Today, the Dutchman is a good betting option. But, it is worth noting, there is still a lot of track ahead and anything can happen in the 13 races that are still to be contested:

British Grand Prix: 1-3 July
Australia: July 8-10
France: July 22-24
Hungary: 29-31 July
Belgium: 26-28 August
Netherlands: 2-4 September
September 9-11 Italy
Singapore: September 30-2/October
Japan: October 7-9
United States: October 21-23
Mexico: October 28-30
Brazil: November 11-13
Abu Dhabi: November 18-20

If Hamilton wants to at least challenge for his eighth title, he needs to be on the podium at the next few circuits. It is also important to remember that he will be racing at home on the British circuit. It is one more reason that will certainly motivate Hamilton.

All eyes will be on the Mercedes representative. By the way, last year he was the winner of the Silverstone race. It is worth mentioning that this was the eighth time he got the better of his competitors in the British GP.

Will it be Hamilton's farewell to Formula One?

Before the current season started, more precisely in March, Hamilton made statements saying that he would retire at the age of 40. At the moment, he is 37. Fans and admirers of the driver still have three years to go.

But could the very poor performance in 2022 be decisive and make the driver anticipate his decision? It is worth remembering that his contract with Mercedes runs until 2023.

Taking bets with the future in mind, what is your opinion on the matter: should he end his career soon or not? Before the end of the season comes around, the bookmakers should release odds on this matter.