With three wins but multiple finishes outside the top five, Lewis Hamilton aptly described Mercedes’ 2024 campaign as “turbulent” during the Brazilian Grand Prix press conference. While he sees potential in the W15, he admits the team has struggles to piece together consistent results.
Looking ahead to the weekend at Interlagos, Hamilton expressed optimism for Mercedes but didn’t shy away from praising Ferrari’s resurgence this season. “I am not looking at the fight between Ferrari and McLaren, even though I am very interested in what my future holds. And I am very impressed by Ferrari’s progress,” he said.
Hamilton also pointed out how Red Bull had over a one-second advantage per lap over the rivals, but as the campaign progressed, both McLaren and Ferrari have been able to catch up to them. Hence, he believes Ferrari’s progress is very encouraging, knowing that he will drive for the Italian outfit next season.
Lewis Hamilton: “Not being in the fight for the championship is not something we like, but we knew it would be difficult. I am grateful for the results we have achieved, for example in Silverstone, but I am not….”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 31, 2024
With just four races remaining in his Mercedes stint, Hamilton will hope to end a historic era with the Brackley-based outfit, with whom he won six of his seven championships, on a high. He will then hope to achieve more success with Ferrari in the years to come and perhaps even aim for a record eighth title.
Ferrari seem to be on the right path at the moment as they seem to have the fastest car in recent races. Their improved pace gives them a fantastic opportunity this season to win their first championship in over 15 years.
Can Ferrari end their title drought?
Unlike the previous few seasons when most experts correctly predicted that Red Bull would run away with the championships, people with similar predictions could not be more wrong this year. Red Bull have had a dramatic fall from grace and are currently third in the championship.
With 512 points, they are 25 points behind second-placed Ferrari, who thanks to a 1-2 finish in Austin followed by a 1-3 finish in Mexico have a golden opportunity to end their championship drought.
If Ferrari were to cover the 29-point deficit they currently have to leaders McLaren, with four races (two sprint races) remaining, they would win their first Constructors’ title since 2008. If Ferrari do manage to win the title this season, it would be a perfect time for Hamilton to step in next year as the team would already be buzzing with confidence.
