F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Checks Out of Championship Battle – 'I Don't Care'

Alex Harrington | Nov 4, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One World Champion, has openly admitted that he is losing patience after a difficult Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton placed tenth, a performance that came after being unexpectedly eliminated in Q1 and a difficult sprint race. This stands in stark contrast to his teammate, George Russell, who qualified second and finished fourth. Reflecting on this, Hamilton did not hesitate to share his frustrations, calling the Mercedes W15 car "undrivable."

Hamilton's journey with Mercedes has been illustrious, marked by numerous victories and championships, including six world titles. However, his current struggles are simply a continuation of the issues faced by Mercedes from the onset of the ground effect regulations in 2021.

Despite winning the British and Belgian Grands Prix earlier this season, the latter half has seen Mercedes falter.

"Yesterday was terrible, today was terrible. Yesterday was bad, qualifying was bad, the sprint race was bad. The car's just been bad all weekend," Hamilton said following Sunday's race.

The narrative of Mercedes' W15 car has been one of unfulfilled potential. Initially unveiled with promising changes following a difficult 2022 and '23, the car has not delivered the expected performance.

"It's devastating to have these bad races in the second half of the season.

“But all I can say is we're trying. It's definitely not acceptable, it's definitely not good enough. And we have to take accountability, I have to take accountability.

"But I am doing the best with what I've got. The car has been the worst this weekend. I don't know what it is, we're going to have to find out what it is.”

Inconsistent characteristics have plagued the team's performance, making it difficult for the team to find any form of real success this season at the front of the grid.

At 39, Hamilton is placing his expectations in a new perspective, stating that the championship standings no longer hold much concern for him.

"I’m looking forward to Christmas," he admitted, signaling his readiness to move on and find a fresh start with Ferrari. "I don’t care if I finish ahead of George [Russell] or behind George, it doesn’t make that big of a difference to me."

Mercedes, once a dominant force in Formula One, is now grappling with a complex season. Despite a recovery after the Canadian Grand Prix, the team's momentum has waned, leading to disappointments in the latter races. With Hamilton currently sixth in the Drivers' Standings and Mercedes fourth in the Constructors' Championship, the title is out of reach. Russell, in contrast, has shown more recent consistency, yet the overall challenge remains for the team.

As Hamilton prepares for his move to the Scuderia next year, his legacy with Mercedes remains strong.

"I just want to keep the car out the wall and try to score points if I can for the team. If I can finish well and they give me a car that doesn't bounce off the track in the next few races, then hopefully we get a better result."