Lewis Hamilton: ‘It’s been tough of course, we exist to win’

Max Verstappen overtook him on the last lap of the Abu Dhabi race, denying him a record-breaking ninth World title.

Mercedes had only one race win, with George Russell P1 at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, as they have failed to establish themselves in the new ground-effect aerodynamic era. Hamilton has not won a race since.

As a result, Hamilton has now gone 51 games without a win in a sport in which he has seven world championships and 103 Grands Prix.

It’s “enough” for him.

“It’s been tough, it’s been a really challenge,” he told CBS News. “It could’ve been worse.

“It’s been a really transitional period where there has been a lot of team bonding, really low moments within the group which then ultimately bring you together.

“There’s been a lot of vulnerability within the team with all of us and it’s really been a growing experience.

“It’s been tough of course, we exist to win.

“When you’re not winning, your perspective has to shift, and it’s just then been about chasing and it’s about improvement.

“It’s about coming together. How can we make improvements? How can we get back to where we want to be? And rallying everyone up, I actually really enjoyed that experience.

“But three years in now, we’re like, ‘okay, I’ve had enough of this, let’s get back to where we belong’.”

Lewis Hamilton describes the “most painful part” of the challenges in 2024.

This is Hamilton’s last chance to assist Mercedes in doing so before he departs the team to join Ferrari at the end of the season.

However, things are not going as planned for his swansong.

The team has failed to finish on the podium and is currently in the distant P4 position in the Constructors’ Championship despite fielding an entirely new W15.

Hamilton ranks tenth in the Drivers’ standings with 27 points, his best Grand Prix result to date being a sixth-place finish in Miami.

In response to the question of whether he had wanted his last season with Mercedes to be his “best season,” he said, “I do and that’s probably the most painful part.”

“Everyone on the team wants this to be a fantastic year. Everyone put in a lot of effort in the past.

“This entire trip has been really emotional for me. just because I adore this team so much.

“I’m not unhappy there, so I’m not leaving.” My departure is not due to problems in my relationship.

From the time I was thirteen, Mercedes has helped me. They have supported me through good times and bad.

“Well, at the moment, it’s definitely a strange transition.”