Lewis Hamilton would have hoped that his Mercedes farewell would have turned out better than what 2024 has given him. Despite winning two races this season, the seven-time world champion has been constantly struggling with the W15 in the latter half of the season.
The 2024 Las Vegas GP was no different with the #44 driver finishing plum last in the top-1o shootout. This led to his race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington coming onto his radio comms and apologizing.
After the chequered flag was waived in Friday’s qualifying, the British engineer was heard saying, “Ok Lewis that’s a P10. Sorry about that.” To which Hamilton promptly replied, “Yep. That was a big mistake.”
While it entirely isn’t sure what Hamilton’s engineer was exactly apologizing for, the Briton has been unhappy with some of the decisions taken by the Mercedes pit wall all season long. Hamilton had a big moment on his final Q3 lap — which could have something to do with his out lap and the team’s decision to send him out.
| Bono: “Ok Lewis that’s a P10. Sorry about that.”
| Lewis Hamilton: “Yep. That was a biiig mistake.”
— deni (@fiagirly) November 23, 2024
Things were completely different on the other side of the Mercedes garage, however. Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell stunned the crowd in attendance as he snatched pole position away from the likes of Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Pierre Gasly.
Hamilton poised for a bitter end to his Mercedes legacy
The #44 driver has been pretty vocal about the issues he’s been facing with the team all season long. The biggest gripe for the seven-time world champion is the handling of the W15 — leaving him with absolutely no confidence under braking or for grip in traction zones.
Hamilton has also been finding it hard to cope with some of the decisions made on the pit wall. He has often questioned and criticized the team’s strategy publicly, leaving them under the bus and catching flak from fans online.
What this threatens to do is leave an indelible blot on his legacy as a Silver Arrows driver. With only three races left in his Mercedes career, he would not want this bad stint to overshadow the successful dynasty he and Toto Wolff had carved out for themselves and the team in the turbo-hybrid era of the sport.
