Lewis Hamilton, the British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, remains optimistic about the team’s future despite a disappointing start to the 2024 Formula 1 season. Hamilton retired from the Australian Grand Prix, marking the worst start to a season for Mercedes since 2012. Both Mercedes cars failed to finish the race, resulting in the team’s lowest points total in the first three rounds of a campaign. Hamilton, who finished seventh and ninth in the previous races, qualified in 11th place at Albert Park and started on the Soft compound tires. Despite his early pit stop, Hamilton supports Mercedes’ decision to take an aggressive approach in order to make progress. He was catching up to the cars ahead before his engine failed. Hamilton did not receive any warning about the power unit failing. Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remains positive and appreciative of his time with the team. He is looking forward to the future and believes that Mercedes will bounce back and achieve success with perseverance.
Mercedes entered the 2024 season with optimism, believing that their redesigned W15 car had successfully addressed the problematic rear end issues of its predecessor. However, Lewis Hamilton, the team’s star driver, has found it difficult to accept that the engineers were unable to overcome these challenges under the new ground effect regulations.
Hamilton expressed his disappointment, stating that it is disheartening for the entire team after putting in so much work during the winter. They had expected to be competitive and fight for victories, but the reality has not matched their expectations. Instead, they find themselves settling for second or third place, which has a negative impact on morale.
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remains inspired by the dedication and effort of his colleagues. He acknowledges that they continue to show up and give their best, which he considers the most important aspect of their work.
Hamilton has been struggling with the unpredictable handling of the W15 car, making it difficult for him to perform consistently throughout a race weekend. He describes this as the worst start to a season in his career, even worse than when McLaren went from being title winners to backmarkers in 2009.
However, Hamilton credits his ability to cope with the current setback to his experience in the sport. He has learned to take a more relaxed approach and focus on the bigger picture. He understands that he cannot control everything and that getting frustrated will not change the situation. Instead, he chooses to let go and be in the present moment, looking forward to a better day and working hard to improve.