Lewis Hamilton had been hoping to end his time at Mercedes on a high, but his 2024 performances will likely mean his incredible 12-year stint in Brackley will go out on a whimper.
The seven-time world champion has desperately struggled to get the best out of his Mercedes machinery in the ground effort era that started in 2022.
Finishing third in the championship last season, Hamilton has been comprehensively beaten by teammate George Russell, particularly in qualifying.
Russell is winning the qualifying battle 15-6 with three events to go and 13-8 in the races – a seven-race swing from 2023.
Karun Chandhok was left ‘genuinely confused’ by Lewis Hamilton’s comments on his radio to Mercedes after Sao Paulo GP
Marc Priestley says Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes performance has ‘disappeared’ this season, as the 39-year-old is set for his lowest finish in his F1 career.
Peter Windsor says Mercedes have lost confidence in the seven-time world champion, and it seems that Hamilton has little faith in the Silver Arrows – evidenced by the fact he is joining Ferrari next year.
This was made more apparent than ever after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. After a miserable weekend which saw him eliminated in Q1 and finishing 10th, Hamilton came over the radio hinting that it could be the last time he performs with the team.
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After many tried to interpret what he meant by these comments, the Brit admitted that he did not think he would do the final three races, which left Karun Chandhok ‘genuinely confused’.
“I was really confused by that. We heard him on the slowing-down lap in Brazil and I was genuinely confused,” he said on Sky Sports F1 before FP2 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“But yeah, it sounds like he genuinely meant that he didn’t think he would come and do these last three races, which would have been a shame.
“And for the sake of the Hamilton/Mercedes story, with all their success, wouldn’t it be nice to see him win one more time? Whether it’s here or Qatar, or Abu Dhabi to have one more win before he heads off to Ferrari.”
Lewis Hamilton is set for the lowest finish of his F1 career in 2024
In what has been a pretty dull year for Mercedes – they are guaranteed to finish fourth in the constructors’ standings – there have been some moments of brilliance from the team and Hamilton.
The W15 showed great performance at some events midway through the season, particularly at the British Grand Prix and Belgian Grand Prix – which marked Hamilton’s first wins since Jeddah in 2021.
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But the inconsistent nature of the car has frustrated the 39-year-old throughout the year, who will now just be looking to end the 2024 season and move on to his new adventure with Ferrari.
Hamilton has never finished outside the top six in a championship and he currently sits seventh, two points behind teammate Russell with three races to go – further highlighting his Mercedes struggles.
Ferrari will present a fresh start for the seven-time champion and perhaps a boost in confidence as he links back up with Frederic Vasseur. His new teammate Charles Leclerc will be fierce competition, but seeing Hamilton in the famous red in 2025 will be some sight.
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