Lewis Hamilton aimed to finish his Mercedes stint on a high, but the Brackley-based team’s shortcomings are preventing him from achieving that. In fact, he appears to be struggling more than at any point in his previous 11 seasons with the team.
Hamilton did win two races in 2024. Still, he described the W15 as the worst car he had ever driven. His comments came after he got knocked out of Q1 at Interlagos (P16) on Sunday, just hours before suiting up for the Sao Paolo GP.
Surely, the W15 cannot be that bad, considering his teammate George Russell missed out on pole by just two-tenths of a second on the same afternoon. However, Hamilton simply could not get the car up to speed, even at a track where has won three races before.
“Not a good day. I’m not gonna be negative. It is what it is. Don’t have any hopes for the race, just gonna do what I can do. The car that I have right now is the worst that I have ever driven so probably won’t be going very far. Maybe I’ll start from the pit lane, I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s undrivable,” he said after Qualifying.
#BrazilGP | Lewis Hamilton post qualifying:
“Not a good day. I’m not gonna be negative – it is what it is.”
“Don’t have any hopes for the race, just gonna do what I can do. The car that I have right now is the wrost that I have ever driven so probably be going very far.… pic.twitter.com/xuC26j9Xhq
— deni (@fiagirly) November 3, 2024
This was not Hamilton’s first complaint regarding the W15 this weekend either.
Yesterday, the seven-time World Champion described his performance as “horrendous” after finishing 11th in the Sprint Race, a full 29 seconds behind winner Lando Norris. Calling it “one of the worst” races he’s ever experienced, Hamilton hinted today that the W15 felt even worse than before.
As the Grand Prix approaches with Hamilton starting far back on the grid, could rain offer him a chance to secure a strong result? Or will the Mercedes driver find himself with even harsher words in just a few hours?
