New audio released in the aftermath of the Brazilian Grand Prix reveals Lewis Hamilton calling his raceday Mercedes the ‘worst it’s ever been’ during a ‘disaster of a weekend’ that saw him finish 11th in the sprint race and 10th on Sunday – and threatening to end the season altogether.
Amid heavy rain at Interlagos, the outgoing Mercedes driver failed to gain control of the car during Sunday morning’s delayed qualifying session.
The seven-time world champion then crashed in Q1 and was forced to start two places lower from 14th after qualifying.
Teammate George Russell, on the other hand, started at the front of the pack and finished the race in fourth.
With a move to Ferrari on the horizon next season, Hamilton will have few chances to extract a vintage performance from his current drive, and in scathing comments made just after crossing the line on Sunday afternoon, the Briton is not convinced he will be able to do that.
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a weekend to forget in Brazil as his time at Mercedes comes to an end
The seven-time world champion became frustrated in the immediate aftermath and described the period in Sao Paulo as a ‘disaster of a weekend’
“That was a disaster of a weekend guys,” Hamilton admitted team radio. “That’s the worst the car has ever been.
‘But thanks for keeping trying, and great job to the guys at the pit stop.
“If this is the last time I get to perform,” he added, hinting at a possible early end to his season, “it’s a shame it wasn’t great, but I’m grateful.”
After the race, Hamilton doubled down on his criticism of the car, adding that it was enough to make him take the rest of the year off.
‘It’s like a wooden plank. It’s like there’s no suspension,” he added. “It’s bouncing all over the tires and you can’t get anywhere on the current.
“It’s just the worst ride, I think the worst ride we’ve ever had, especially around corners. It’s just so stiff.
‘But hopefully we won’t have any more bumpy tracks. I don’t think the last three are that bumpy. But yes, I could easily go on holiday.’
Hamilton – who sits seventh in the drivers’ standings – has taken two race wins and two additional podium finishes this season, but an inconsistent end to his spell in the W15 has seen him achieve uneven results since the start of the year.
His finish in Sao Paulo was the lowest since 2022, when he also finished 10th.
In Hamilton’s words, the end of his time in this year’s Mercedes ‘can’t come soon enough’.
Hamilton’s podium finishes this season seem a distant memory after a poor performance in Brazil
The driver only has three races left before the end of the season – a moment he can’t wait for
“The race was c**p, but driving Senna’s car (as he did before the race) was the best thing ever, so I’m happy and grateful for that experience,” Hamilton told the media after the race, which was won by the title. chasing Max Verstappen.
‘Let’s not talk about the car, because the car is not good. (Saturday) was terrible, (Sunday) was terrible, qualifying and the sprint race were bad, the car was just bad all weekend.”
Fortunately, should Hamilton see the remaining dates on the calendar, he will have few appearances in the car before the end of the season, with only three races remaining.
After his miraculous drive that saw him steal a march on the grid and move from 17th to 1st place, Verstappen could claim a fourth consecutive world title in the next race, the Grand Prix of Las Vegas.
Title rival Lando Norris had an equally frustrating weekend despite taking pole position, as conditions saw him drop down to finish sixth.