Lewis Hamilton may have hinted at an early departure from Mercedes, reflecting frustration over his struggles in the 2024 season.
It's been a challenging year for the seven-time world champion, as he has navigated the season knowing he will join Ferrari in 2025. At 39, Hamilton has also grappled with the inconsistent performance of Mercedes' W15, but his dissatisfaction was particularly evident throughout the Brazilian GP weekend.
"Terrible. Terrible," Hamilton remarked when asked about the car's performance at Interlagos. "You tell me," he replied to a journalist questioning what exactly is wrong with the W15. "That's the million-dollar question.
"If you can find the answer, I'll give you a million dollars," he joked.
Reflecting on the weekend, he added, "Qualifying was bad, the sprint was bad. The race was rubbish. Driving (Ayrton) Senna's car was the best thing of the weekend."
Hamilton, who has consistently criticized the stiffness and bumpiness of the current ground-effect cars, said the issue reached a new peak in Brazil.
"It's like a plank of wood. It's like, no suspension," he commented.
"Hopefully we won't have any more bumpy tracks. I think the last three aren't so bumpy. But yeah, I could happily go and take a holiday."
With three races remaining in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, Hamilton is clearly looking forward to wrapping up the season and stepping into Ferrari colors for 2025.
"I'm very interested in my future, of course," Hamilton admitted. "In that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens."
After finishing the Brazilian GP, Hamilton even hinted on the radio that this could be his last race with Mercedes.
"That was a disaster of a weekend guys," he told his team. "That is the worst the car has ever been.
"If this is the last time that I get to perform, it's a shame it wasn't great. But grateful for you."
Speaking to reporters, he added, "If they give me a car that doesn't bounce in the next three races, maybe I can get a better result. But yes, I am looking forward to Christmas."
Many drivers, including 43-year-old Fernando Alonso, found the resurfaced Interlagos track uncomfortably bumpy last weekend.
"Both," Hamilton answered when asked if the weekend's issues were more about the track or the car. "But it's mainly the car. There was something wrong with it."
"It's so exhausting to have all these bad races in the second half of the season. The only thing I can say is that every time we start a weekend, we do our best. But this is unacceptable. It's not good enough," he stated.
Looking toward the remaining races, Hamilton admitted he isn't targeting wins. "I am going to focus on other things," he said.
"I am not fighting for the world championship, so it doesn't matter really where I finish. I don't care if I'm in front or behind George (Russell). It makes no difference to me."
