Lewis Hamilton was asked three questions by Sky Sports F1 after finishing ninth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the racer gave a glum response to every one of them
Lewis Hamilton piled the pressure on his Mercedes team to deliver a title-fighting car in 2024 as he reacted glumly to his damp squib of a last race of 2023.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been the scene of some of Hamilton’s great triumphs over the years. But it has also brought some of his lowest moments.
Finishing ninth on Sunday was not the worst day Hamilton has ever had at the Yas Marina Circuit. But he certainly wasn’t in a great mood as he spoke in the media pen.
He has been waiting for the end of this race for weeks at it means he will never have to drive the W14 again. But even when asked if that was something to smile about he replied: “Not particularly.”
When asked if there was anything he could learn from this season to help him in the future, he also responded with a dejected expression. “Not too much, really,” he remarked. There’s not much to learn from the year because it hasn’t been great overall. The fact I made it through it? I think that’s pretty much it.
Max Verstappen easily won the race in Abu Dhabi, and George Russell and Charles Leclerc finished alongside him on the podium. After a five-second time penalty, Sergio Perez, who had been second on the road, finished fourth overall.
Red Bull has won all but one of the 22 races this year, while Verstappen recorded his 19th victory of a record-breaking season. And that’s even after they’ve spent the last few months concentrating all of their automobile development efforts on their 2024 machine.
That was mentioned by Hamilton when he was questioned about his expectations for 2024. He has previously stated that in order to close the gap before the new season begins, the team will need to advance more quickly than before.
Additionally, he increased the pressure on his coworkers to deliver a car so that he and teammate Russell could challenge Verstappen and Red Bull. He replied, “I’m not really sure right now. Given that Red Bull hasn’t even developed their car since August, it’s concerning that they won by a mere 17 seconds in the end.
But now that we know a lot more about the vehicle, the team is all that remains. They are aware of what needs to be done; whether they succeed or not will be determined.”
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