Lewis Hamilton is 'more hungry' and isn't considering retirement, according to Jenson Button.
The 38-year-old was, until 2021, F1's dominant force having won seven titles over the years.
However, ever since being denied another crown that year, the Stevenage-born racer has struggled.
Hamilton did well to finish third in the standings last term, behind Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Lewis Hamilton is currently focused on the upcoming F1 season as he seeks a return to winning ways
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But he's not won a race in two years and some fear he'll struggle to ever scale the same dizzying heights of old.
Button, however, thinks Hamilton is 'more hungry' as a result of his struggles and doesn't think his fellow Briton has any plans to retire right now.
He told Sky Sports: “When you’ve won for so many years and suddenly that is taken away from you, it can work in two different ways.
"One, you’re just like ‘There’s no point anymore, I want to retire. I’ve been at the peak for so long and now I’ve not won a race in two years.’”
“But also it can make you more hungry to get back to that and Lewis is in that position right now I think.
"And Lewis is as good as ever, I’d say, in terms of his outright speed.
"But also now he seems much more comfortable in himself and confident in his own ability.
“So he makes less mistakes, so he’s even better now than he was five or six years ago, I think.
"And that’s tough. If he gets a car that is competitive enough to fight for victories, when someone is that strong and that confident in themselves, it is difficult to beat, as you can see with Max Verstappen.”
Hamilton is, however, entering the twilight years of his F1 career.
He signed a new contract last year that ties him to Mercedes until 2025.
But it's unclear if he'll pen another extension, especially if Verstappen continues to dominate.
Fans of the sport would love to see Hamilton and Verstappen enjoy another close title tussle.
For now, however, Red Bull and their drivers are very much the favourites for the new season.
Meanwhile, Red Bull chief Christian Horner has claimed Verstappen and Hamilton enjoy 'privileges' in F1 as a result of their success.
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Lewis Hamilton isn't considering F1 retirement and is 'more hungry' for success in the sport
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"It's inevitable in any sport I would have thought," he told the Secrets of Success podcast.
"Max came to us as a teenager, he's now a world champion.
"I think the same with Lewis Hamilton, he's now the most successful driver of all time and he will have more sway within his team than his team-mate, because his value to the team is significantly greater.
"I think that it's a matter of keeping that in check.
"Of course, there will be certain privileges that are allowed to your centre forward, your star player.
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were once F1 team-mates
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"But he's still part of a team, there's no room for a prima donna, because at that point it becomes bigger than the team.
"So he can't achieve what he wants to, without having the team behind him, and without having the tools to provide the equipment.
"That's where it's a matter of achieving that, that balance, being respectful of the status that they've achieved, but also still recognising you're part of a team and you need all the other elements to deliver your part."