Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver, suggested that he might end the F1 season prematurely following a troubling weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Fresh audio recordings have surfaced featuring Lewis Hamilton hinting that he may have already competed for Mercedes for the last time. Hamilton’s spirits plummeted following a disastrous weekend at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.
The F1 fans watching the official broadcast on Sunday did not hear the audio clip until after the race. In a brief chat with his engineers via the team radio, the British legend suggested that he might have competed in Mercedes attire for the last time.
The seven-time world champion reached his limit after coming in 11th in the F1 Sprint and securing 16th place in the race. He moved up two positions due to grid penalties for Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen.
However, his chances of moving up in the race were hindered by problems with the performance of the W15 car, as Hamilton criticized the ‘bouncing’ and likened the floor to a ‘wooden plank’.
He lost important positions and time when he veered off track twice while battling with Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.
It was clear that the person who was 39 years old was feeling frustrated.
He expressed his desire for a vacation after competing against Sergio Perez for 10th place and scoring only one point in Sao Paulo.
Hamilton’s further remarks only escalated the situation as he made another mysterious comment about what lies ahead.
“Guys, that weekend was a complete disaster. Hamilton said on the team radio that the car has never been worse than it is now.
Thank you for persisting in your efforts. Fantastic work by the pitstop crew. If this is my final performance, it’s disappointing it wasn’t amazing, yet thankful for your presence.
It would come as a shock if Hamilton did not receive a deserving farewell after an impressive streak where he claimed six out of his seven Drivers’ Championship titles with the team, including four back-to-back wins from 2017 to 2020.
Hamilton’s personal connection with Toto Wolff is still strong, and despite being surprised by his choice to join Ferrari, the Austrian has not shown any negative emotions towards the iconic driver.
Recent speculation suggests that Mercedes may give Kimi Antonelli a trial run in the car in the last three races of the season before he officially joins the team in 2025.
The 18-year-old will take Hamilton’s place as George Russell’s teammate as the Silver Arrows begin a new era, with no world champion in their team for the first time in 12 years.
Nevertheless, Hamilton is anticipated to participate in the last three races of the season in Qatar, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi as he ends his time at Mercedes.