Mercedes-AMG’s star driver Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing race weekend at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit in Sao Paulo. Sounding dejected, the 39-year-old shared a cryptic message on the team radio after the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Although Interlagos has been one of the top tracks for Hamilton in the past (he won his first championship at the venue in 2008), the seven-time F1 world champion’s 2024 outing on the circuit became one to forget. After a disappointing Sprint Qualifying session that saw Hamilton finish in 11th place, he had to do a recovery run in the Sprint Race after losing three positions on lap 1.
Further hurting his chances for a better result was the Qualifying session, where Hamilton lost out in Q1. He eventually started the Grand Prix in 14th place due to Max Verstappen’s five-place penalty and Carlos Sainz starting from the pit-lane for using additional power unit and gearbox elements.
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Ending the race in 10th place, Hamilton sent a cryptic message on the team radio after the chequered flag. The onboard footage from his #44 race car was shared on X by Mercedes-AMG’s UK-based F1 news page.
“To all the guys that are pissed off, if this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame. It wasn’t great, but great for you,” Lewis Hamilton commented on the team radio (0:00 onward).
Here’s a look at the X post, captioned with three question marks:
Although Hamilton was suffering from porpoising issues throughout the race (with the introduction of a revised floor design at Mexican GP), he managed to keep Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez at bay to add one crucial point for him and Mercedes-AMG in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings.
Hamilton will likely be looking forward to the switch to Ferrari for a better 2025 season.
“Definitely a very difficult race” – Lewis Hamilton on suffering from lack of grip during the Brazilian Sprint Race
Although a fan-favorite at Sao Paulo, Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing Sprint Race on Saturday (November 2) during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. The #44 Mercedes-AMG driver explained the situation during a mandatory post-race media interaction.
“Horrendous! Honestly it felt really terrible today, even worse than it did in qualifying. Definitely a very difficult race, that was one of the worst races. I felt the car just sliding around and zero grip behind even the Williams,” he said.
“I could barely keep up with them for a period of time. Lots of work to do to try and change the car, flip it on its head for quali,” Lewis Hamilton added.
With just three more races to go in the 2024 season, Hamilton is currently placed seventh in the drivers’ standings. He is just two points behind his teammate George Russell.
Edited by Tushar Bahl
