So often a figure of hope and optimism, it has been tough listening to Lewis Hamilton’s outright despondency on the airwaves in recent weeks. In many ways, stretching back to the Brazilian Grand Prix at the start of November, it has been a month which has been a stark microcosm of his final three years at Mercedes.
First, there was the hopelessness. At one of his favourite tracks, Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Hamilton was in no man’s land at the back of the pack in his favoured wet conditions. As the race ended, he even mooted that he might not take to the cockpit for the final three races of the year. The talk was quickly squashed by his team.
Then, there was the missed opportunity. Bizarrely, and for reasons Toto Wolff and his engineers do not fully understand, Mercedes had the quickest car in the cold air of the Las Vegas night. Hamilton was in the fight for pole position but failed to execute a clean qualifying lap when it mattered. He surged through the field to finish second behind teammate George Russell. But Lewis Hamilton is not a happy camper with P2 next to his name.
Now, in the wake of a torrid penultimate weekend for Mercedes in Qatar which included a race on Sunday with a false start, puncture and speeding penalty, it is back to that tone of straight-out despair. Right from the off after Friday’s sprint qualifying session, Hamilton’s words spoke more volumes than any overtaking manoeuvre on track ever could.
“I’m just slow,” he said, fully aware of a head-to-head qualifying record this season which, with one race to go, reads 18-5 in Russell’s favour. It is a startlingly alarming statistic, for a man who is statistically Formula One’s best-ever qualifier.
“It’s the same every weekend. The car felt relatively decent. No issues… not really much more to say.
“I’m definitely not fast anymore.”
Those final words hit hard. On the face of it, it seems incomprehensible that a figure as resilient and motivated as Hamilton actually believes his own comments. It simply seems the consequence of three years of agonising inconsistency in this breed of Mercedes car. Nonetheless, there must be some food for thought over at Ferrari, ahead of next year’s blockbuster move.
Are Hamilton’s powers really waning?
It certainly wasn’t the feeling seven days ago, in the wake of a trademark charge through the field to finish on the Vegas podium. Nor at Silverstone in July, when he broke a win-duck of nearly 1,000 days with a masterclass in old-school racecraft and tyre management.
Hamilton is, and always has been, a driver motivated by first place. Whether that be in the race or in the championship standings. Positioned seventh in the world championship table after 23 rounds, the 39-year-old is on track for this worst-ever season in Formula One. His team are certain to finish a mediocre fourth in the constructors’ championship. A season which has brought highs – with wins in Silverstone and Spa – looks to be concluding with a hollow low.
It is certainly not the golden ending envisaged in his cherished Mercedes attire, as 12 largely glorious years all come to an end this Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Asked about his feelings ahead of his final race for the team, Hamilton’s mood did not perk up.
“I’m not thinking about it,” he said. “Even if it [my time at Mercedes] finishes like this weekend, that doesn’t define the journey we’ve been on and the journey we’ve had.”
It makes the timing of his transfer to F1’s most famous marque – the scarlet red of the Scuderia – all the more fascinating. Ferrari have gambled big on Hamilton’s championship experience in the hope that they can provide one final swansong for the sport’s most famous driver.
But, as much as the essence would have been the opposite way around at the start of the season, it seems now that Hamilton needs Ferrari more than Ferrari needs Hamilton. Fred Vasseur’s outfit are still chasing a first constructors’ title in 16 years and trail McLaren by 21 points heading into Abu Dhabi. They have proven themselves capable of arming their drivers with a quick, race-winning car.
Finally, perhaps, they look a team on the cusp of big-ticket success
The future looks mouthwateringly promising. A future, as we all know, with Hamilton in it and an intriguing partnership with Charles Leclerc. And with an eye on 2025, ahead of a week of tributes and farewells at Mercedes, it seems to be just the shake-up the seven-time F1 champion needs on his horizon.
