We all know that Lewis Hamilton hasn’t had the best couple of years on the track, but there’s no denying he’s one of the greatest athletes of all time. With over 7 championships, 105 wins, and 202 podium finishes, his legacy is pretty much untouchable. But lately, it seems like every race is just one more reminder of his frustration, especially as he heads toward what will likely be his worst season finish ever. After all, when you’re a seven-time champ, even a P7 finish feels like a slap in the face.

So, when Hamilton had a rough outing at the Qatar Grand Prix, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. It’s not every day you hear a seven-time world champion asking his team to retire the car mid-race. That’s how bad things have gotten. The car wasn’t working, and honestly, he just wants to get through these last few races.

Lewis Hamilton’s worst season isn’t getting over sooner

Hamilton started his Formula One career in 2007 with Mclaren, winning the championship in the very next year and the world of motorsport knew a star was born. He would then go on to absolutely dominate the sport. And Hamilton got his most success with Mercedes after he joined the team in 2013. The 2014-2020 era has Lewis Hamilton written all over it, he won 6 titles, four back-to-back! Rather, Hamilton would have gotten 6 back-to-back titles if he hadn’t lost to his teammate, Nico Rosberg, by 5 points in 2016.

But now that Lewis Hamilton celebrates his final year with the Mercedes team, in their last few races together, he is not getting the fitting end that he deserves. Yes, he broke his two-year winless (2022,2023) streak this year, but he is also headed for the worst season finish of his career. After a disappointing Qatar race, where he first jumped the start and got a penalty, then he was having trouble turning the car, as he complained about the car being a “mess” on the radio. Then he was faced with a puncture after seemingly running over some debris on the main straight. And to add to more trouble, he got a speeding penalty in pit lane. Hamilton gave up after this and called to “retire the car.”

But his engineer denied him that and Hamilton finished 12th in the race, no points earned. After a P2 last week at Vegas, he will most likely stay in P7 for the season finish, as above him in 6th is Goerge Russell who is clearly in better form. But Hamilton doesn’t care about the P7, he just wants the nightmare to end. Post the race he said, “I have no clue man. I don’t have an answer for you. It’s not been great. At this point I really don’t care. I just want to get through this next couple of races and do my job. Turn up and then I am looking forward to the winter break.” 

This sparked a bit of controversy as people questioned his relations with his long-term partner Mercedes, talking about how the team has pushed him over the edge. However, Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s wife, recently put out an Instagram story, clarifying that there is no bad blood. She wrote, “Hugely supportive from the very beginning. And makes the effort to visit not because he (Lewis Hamilton) is asked to but because he wants to.”

Even Toto was seen backing Hamilton after the Brit was earlier questioning his own ability on the track. Toto had said, “I’m certain that it’s not true. It’s just this generation of cars, particularly how the car is now. It’s just something that he likes, he’s a late braker he carries alot of speed on the entry to the corner and the car doesn’t take it. You can see him inking out, taking more and more time intellectually, and trying to find more performance. We need to give him a car that’s to his liking.

Despite all that, Hamilton remains grateful for all he’s achieved and gotten in the sport and wants to end his time with Mercedes on a high note.

Lewis Hamilton wants to give Mercedes a fitting farewell

Despite all the setbacks, Hamilton is staying positive. The final race of the season is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and it’s a track where he’s had tons of success. He’s won there five times and has qualified on pole five times as well. But lately, Max Verstappen has dominated there, winning four years in a row. If Verstappen wins again, he’ll tie Hamilton for the most wins at the track.

But Hamilton isn’t backing down. He’s determined to finish strong with Mercedes. “I’m still standing, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up, so I’ll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot next week. I think what’s important is that we turn up and give it our best shot.”

Even though the season has been tough, Hamilton remains grateful for everything he’s accomplished. “I’m very grateful for that, I get to do what I love doing. Even when there are days I don’t like it as much and I’m really so lucky to be here amongst all these amazing athletes. You know it’s painful when things don’t go well. No one likes losing but that’s the part of the journey,” he shared.

So, with one more race to go, Hamilton is doing everything he can to give Mercedes a proper send-off. What’s been your favorite Hamilton moment during his time with Mercedes? Share with us in the comments below!