After finishing P2 in Las Vegas, Lewis Hamilton would have been hoping for a similar kind of result in Qatar on Sunday. However, it turned out to be a weekend to forget. Hamilton went into the race struggling with the W15, but things got from bad to worse with multiple penalties, and also a tire puncture.
In the end, Hamilton finished outside the points in P12, and the puncture was deemed the main reason behind his not being in the top 10. However, contrary to common belief in the paddock, Hamilton doesn’t think loose debris on the main straight of the Lusail International Circuit contributed to the puncture.
“It felt like it was just tire failure from the tire being worn out,” said Hamilton to Canal+. “I had a lot of understeer so I feel like the tire was down to its end. And my puncture happened to go through turn 14 / 15 I think it was.”
Q: why did you want to stay on track?
Lewis hamilton: “Cause I didn’t give up.”
“I kept going. Didn’t make any difference but yeah”
Q: the puncture, do you think it’s because of the pieces on track?
LH: “I have no idea – it felt like it was just tire failure from the tire… pic.twitter.com/ml8wAAvAcL
— sim (@sim3744) December 1, 2024
Other incidents that marred Hamilton’s evening in Lusail included a false start, which resulted in a five-second time penalty, and a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. At one point, he was so dejected that he requested the team to retire the car. However, he didn’t.
Hamilton soldiered on
Two penalties and a tire-puncture later it was all but certain that Hamilton wouldn’t be finishing in the points. Once he was informed of the second penalty, the Briton expressed his desire to give up on the team radio. Mercedes agreed, asking him to serve the punishment and then box.
However, Hamilton being himself, went on. He was not close to the points, and it was a frustrating outing for the seven-time World Champion in his penultimate race for the Silver Arrows. When asked why he kept going, Hamilton said, “Because I didn’t give up. I kept going. Didn’t make any difference but yeah.”
Heading into the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, Hamilton would feel relieved that his nightmarish final season with the Silver Arrows is finally coming to an end.
