LUSAIL, Qatar — Lewis Hamilton rarely contemplates leaving the Formula 1 circuit, but during the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, he came close to doing just that.
In a radio conversation with his Mercedes crew, Hamilton expressed doubts about whether it might be wiser to retire from the race as circumstances took a turn for the worse. Ultimately, he made the choice to continue racing but ended up finishing in a disappointing 12th place. A series of misfortunes—including two penalties, a tire puncture, and issues plaguing the car—led to another frustrating outing as he nears the conclusion of his record-setting tenure with Mercedes.
Hamilton’s final race with the team will take place in Abu Dhabi next weekend before making the switch to Ferrari. “I don’t think we’re going to end up on a high,” he reflected on the race after it concluded. “What’s important is how we show up. We give it our best shot, and I don’t foresee a significantly better outcome than we’ve experienced in recent races, but I’ll make every effort.”
In recent performances, Hamilton has consistently found himself trailing his teammate, George Russell, including in five consecutive races and sprints. Following a promising second-place finish in Las Vegas last week, where Russell took the victory, everything seemed to go awry for Hamilton on Sunday.
His race got off to a rocky start when he jumped the start and received a subsequent penalty. Setup complications with his Mercedes rendered the car difficult to maneuver, leading Hamilton to declare over the radio, “The car is messed up, mate.” Things took a turn for the worse as he suffered a puncture that caused sparks to fly from the vehicle’s underside, followed by yet another penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit area.
Following an emotional win at his home Grand Prix in Britain back in July, which marked the end of a 945-day winless streak, Hamilton secured another victory in Belgium, albeit under unusual circumstances where his teammate, Russell, initially finished first but was disqualified. Since then, however, Hamilton has struggled to match Russell’s pace.
Qualifying has emerged as a significant hurdle for Hamilton, often forcing him to fight from the back of the grid on race days. “When you’re always starting in positions like I am, it makes it incredibly challenging, nearly impossible, to contend for victories,” he mentioned on Friday.
The seven-time champion has not provided a straightforward explanation for his recent difficulties and candidly remarked on Friday in Qatar that he is “definitely not fast anymore,” following numerous qualifying setbacks.
However, Hamilton’s future teammate at Ferrari offers a different perspective. Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, highlighted Hamilton’s commendable performance in Las Vegas as evidence that the 39-year-old driver still possesses his competitive spirit.
“Take a look at the 50 laps he completed in Las Vegas, starting from 10th on the grid and finishing right behind Russell, who won,” Vasseur pointed out. “I have no concerns whatsoever.”
