Speaking after the race in Interlagos, a downbeat Hamilton said: “I just put my focus on something else. I’m not fighting for the championship, it doesn’t really matter where we finish in the championship.
“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.
I just want to keep the car out of 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. Looking forward to Christmas.”
Despite registering two wins in a magical three-race stretch before the summer break, 2024 has been a disappointing farewell tour for Hamilton and Mercedes. With McLaren and Ferrari steaming further ahead in terms of performance, another victory before the season’s close looks just short of impossible.
