"Without Hamilton, the chances and challenges will only be stronger"

It is still a big question mark what Lewis Hamilton will do at the end of this season. Will he retire or will he go for another contract extension with Mercedes? And is the team willing to meet his demands? Whatever his decision, Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali believes the sport is robust enough to survive any departure of the world champion.

The confirmation of Hamilton's contract extension was a long time coming at the beginning of this year. Because of this the rumour mill already started to spin: Mercedes would not be willing to meet all the demands of their star driver. These rumours were amplified when the confirmation finally came, and it turned out to be only a one year contract.

These rumours will undoubtedly resurface during the current season too. However, Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali thinks the sport can do just fine without Hamilton. "Hamilton is certainly an asset," he said in conversation with Motorsport.com. "He does a lot for the image of the sport, also in other areas not directly related to F1."

He continued: "But F1 is strong and robust, and whatever Lewis is going to decide, F1 will respond and move on. If he stays he will have a great season ahead of him with new cars and a new challenge. But we have so many good drivers in Formula 1 now - if he quits, the opportunities and challenges will be even greater," said Domenicali.