Lewis Hamilton endured one of his most difficult weekends of the 2024 season in Sao Paolo. But his teammate George Russell’s time was very different, as he fought at the sharp end of the grid whereas Hamilton was struggling to stay in the points. While the exact reason for this difference in performance remains unknown, a video circulating on social media highlighted just how noticeably more challenging Hamilton’s car was to handle compared to Russell’s.
Comparing the on-board camera footage from both Mercedes cars, the video pointed out how Hamilton had to work extra hard to keep his car on the racing line. “Look at how uncontrollable Hamilton’s car is compared to Russell’s. Hamilton and Russell clearly don’t have the same tools,” the caption posted by a fan read on X (formerly Twitter).
Look at how uncontrollable Hamilton’s car is compared to Russell’s.
Hamilton and Russell clearly don’t have the same tools
There’s nothing bad about giving Russell priority since he’s the one staying but it’s sad to see Hamilton-Mercedes end like thispic.twitter.com/R54uuR54iJ
— ۟ (@hamiltonprop_) November 4, 2024
The seven-time World Champion experienced handling issues with the W15 throughout the race weekend. His Q1 exit in qualifying prompted him to come out and label the W15 as the “worst car he has ever driven”. However, with rain affecting the race, many thought that Hamilton—a master in the wet weather—would make amends in the Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, there was little Hamilton could do from P16. He described the car as “undrivable,” with video footage showing the #44 driver struggling to keep it stable on the track, losing significant time through the corners.
Mercedes has been using different setups on Hamilton and Russell’s cars to find the right operating window for the W15 for the majority of this season. But Hamilton has come off worse in this experiment throughout. He had the weaker Mercedes car in several circuits, including Sao Paulo, in this campaign.
Hamilton’s complaints about the W15
On Sunday, Russell started from P2, and even assumed the lead at the first corner, before eventually having to settle for P5 following his pit-stop. It wasn’t what Russell would have preferred, but he was still in sight of the frontrunners.
Hamilton, presumably, would have loved to trade places with Russell. He kept complaining about the W15 all weekend, labeling it as “horrendous” after a dismal Sunday morning.
All in all, Hamilton experienced a repeat of the US GP weekend from two weeks ago, where he suffered a similar Q1 exit and spun out to register a DNF in the race.
The only highlight for Hamilton in Brazil meanwhile, was the chance to drive Senna’s 1990 championship-winning McLaren. After his exhibition run, he took a subtle dig at Mercedes’ car struggles, remarking, “That was the best drive of the whole weekend!”
With just three races left in his Mercedes stint, Hamilton would want to finish on a high. Though he has won two races this season, recent disappointing weekends seem to have drained his motivation. He mentioned he’s eagerly awaiting the “end” of this season and the fresh start with Ferrari next year.
