Lewis Hamilton heaps pressure on Mercedes F1 staff in glum Abu Dhabi GP verdict
Lewis Hamilton was asked three questions by Sky Sports F1 after finishing ninth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the driver gave each one a somber answer.
Lewis Hamilton has stepped up pressure on Mercedes to deliver the title car in 2024 after being angered by negative comments about his final race in 2023.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been the site of some of Hamilton’s greatest victories over the years. But it also produced some of his lowest moments.
A ninth-place finish on Sunday wasn’t his worst day at Hamilton’s Yas Marina circuit. But he was clearly in a bad mood when he spoke to the press.
He waited a whole week for this race to end because he didn’t have to drive the W14 anymore. However, when asked if there was anything to laugh about, he replied: “Not particularly.”
He also gave a firm answer when asked if there was anything that could help him move on from this season. He said: “Actually, there are not many. Overall, it wasn’t a good year, so there wasn’t much to gain from it. My survivor? may be.\”
Max Verstappen easily won the Abu Dhabi race alongside Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Sergio Perez finished second on the track, but suffered a five-second penalty, dropping him to fourth in the final event. This marks Verstappen’s 19th win of the season, with Red Bull winning all but one of the 22 races this year. This is despite the fact that for several months they have focused all their development efforts on the 2024 car. Asked about his hopes for 2024, Hamilton commented: He previously said the team will need to improve faster than ever to close the gap in time for the start of the new season. And it put more pressure on his teammates to deliver a car that could compete with Verstappen and Red Bull, along with Russell. He said, “I don’t know now. Red Bull will win by 17 seconds, but they haven’t built a car since August, which is certainly a concern.
“But I’ve learned a lot about the car and now it’s up to the team. They know what to do. “We’ll see if I can do it or not.”
