Lewis Hamilton is recently facing one of the most challenging periods of his career at Mercedes after having achieved incredible amounts of success over the last decade. The Qatar Grand Prix was another low point in a season filled with struggles for the seven-time champion.
Hamilton’s former teammate and now a commentator for Sky Sports F1, Jenson Button, expressed deep sympathy for the #44 driver. “For one of the greatest, if not the greatest ever in the sport to be in this position, mentally it’s soul-destroying, and I really feel for him,” Button said after witnessing Hamilton’s struggles in Qatar.
Having lost a couple of positions as the lights went out, Hamilton’s race began on the wrong foot, with the FIA penalizing him for a false start. Later in the race, a puncture caused by debris on the main straight forced him into the pits, dropping him to 16th.
“Retire the car, park the car mate”
After a drive through penalty for pit-lane speeding, Lewis Hamilton was reluctant to continue in Qatar ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MR7oOCtsWq
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) December 1, 2024
His progress was further halted by a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pitlane during a third Safety Car period. By the end of the chaotic race, Hamilton was left outside the points, finishing a disappointing 12th.
“I hope that is his last race for Mercedes, I really do. I hope we see Lewis back in Abu Dhabi because mentally, this is such a tough place for him to be in,” Button added.
Indeed, Abu Dhabi will mark the end of Hamilton’s journey with Mercedes. After the 2024 season, Hamilton will move to Ferrari, which has been dubbed as one of the biggest moves in the history of the sport. Hamilton’s departure comes after a year filled with setbacks, except for a few shining moments in Silverstone and Spa, and he has made it clear that he is looking forward to a fresh start with Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton’s first F1 appearance for Ferrari will be in the 2022 car, at the start of 2025
Mercedes have committed Lewis to end-of-year promotional commitments making him unavailable to test for Ferrari in Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/RbTz7HNTPM
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) November 13, 2024
However, at the same time, Hamilton also wants to bid farewell to Mercedes in the best way possible after spending more than a decade with them. After the season ends in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will be a part of several events that Mercedes have pre-planned for him to bid him farewell.
