Mercedes reminded Lewis Hamilton of the repercussions for his final race with the team as he pushed to retire from the Qatar GP.

F1 2024 marks the final season of the record-breaking Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes partnership, with Hamilton on his way to Ferrari from F1 2025. However, the closing stages of Hamilton’s Mercedes career have not carried much of a positive vibe.

Lewis Hamilton told to retire if he wants Abu Dhabi GP penalty

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Qatar was arguably a new low for Hamilton’s Mercedes farewell, the seven-time World Champion calling himself “just slow” after lagging behind team-mate George Russell in qualifying, while his situation did not improve much on race day.

As well as picking up a puncture, Hamilton was penalised for a false start and speeding in the pit lane, the latter requiring Hamilton to serve a drive-through penalty, though he wanted to park his Mercedes W15 there and then.

“Retire the car then,” Hamilton said to race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington over team radio after being told about the penalty.

Hamilton would continue that request, until Bono made it clear to Hamilton that he would take a penalty into his final Mercedes race, the Abu Dhabi GP, if he retired the car.

But, if he still wanted to do that regardless, then “fine”.

“Okay Lewis, so we’ll serve the penalty this lap,” said Bono to Hamilton’s initial message, as Hamilton came back with: “Park the car mate.”

“Negative.”

Hamilton therefore claimed: “I’m switching off when I get in there mate.”

And to that, Bono warned: “That’s fine. If you want a five-second penalty next race, that is fine.

“We only have to do one more lap, but we will drive through the pit lane.”

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Hamilton has one final chance to see his legendary Mercedes career out on a high, but, coming from the driver himself, that is not on the cards.

“I don’t think we’re going to end up in a high,” he admitted to the media, including PlanetF1.com. “It will end and I think what’s important is how we turn up, we give it our best shot.

“I don’t anticipate a particularly much better weekend than we’ve had in the past weekends, but naturally I’ll try. Go in with low hopes and maybe come out with a better result.

“It doesn’t really make a big difference either way, these last races for me don’t have an impact on everything.

“It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and I’m just grateful I’m still standing and I’m still OK. I’ve had great races in my life and I’ve had bad races in my life. Not too many bad ones.”

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