Lewis Hamilton has effectively downed tools at Mercedes because he knows his stint with them is ending in three races, according to an F1 cult hero.
The former team boss believes Hamilton is so wrapped up in his frustrations with the car that he has become entrenched in pessimism compared to team-mate George Russell.
Hamilton threatened to quit the season early over the team radio after finishing 11th on the back of a ‘disaster of a weekend’ at a drenched Brazil GP.
The seven-time world champion, 39, will join Ferrari next season on a £50million-per-year deal, but his new bosses at the Scuderia are said to be ‘surprised’ by his behaviour in Brazil.
‘The car [W15] is what it is. It’s not the best car, it’s the fourth-best car at the moment on a good day. So I think Lewis, knowing that he’s leaving anyway, is like it’s easier to complain,’ Guenther Steiner, the former team principal of Haas, told the Red Flags Podcast.
Lewis Hamilton likes to ‘complain’ and thinks there is ‘nothing left to be won’ before he leaves Mercedes, said former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner
The Brit finished 11th in Brazil and branded it a ‘disaster of a weekend’ speaking on team radio
‘But George has got all the interest to do whatever he has to do there to get it out of it, to show that he’s the leader of the team for the future. He has to prove that because he knows that his seat, when his contract is up, is not 100% safe.
‘Russell is trying to do his best, puts everything into it, and on the other side, Lewis is there and he doesn’t like the car, how it drives, knows that now in three races that he’s not there anymore. It gets at him, and I would say he’s not dealing with that very well.
‘Lewis has so much experience, he doesn’t need to be in this meeting, I mean, his engineer is in there anyway, because you need to set the car up. Lewis always has to give the feedback, what he wants on the car. But it’s all of these things. I mean, the car, it is what it is.
‘I think Lewis is just, at this point, he doesn’t like the car. He complains about it. He sees the glass half empty while George sees his half full with opportunity. Lewis sees it as, ‘I’ve got a few more races to go here, there’s nothing left to be won.’
Audio released in the aftermath of the Brazilian Grand Prix revealed Lewis Hamilton dubbing his raceday Mercedes the ‘worst it has ever been’ on a ‘disaster of a weekend’ that saw him finish 11th in the sprint race and 10th on Sunday – and threatening to quit the season altogether.
Amid lashing rain at Interlagos, the outgoing Mercedes driver failed to wrench the car under his control in Sunday morning’s delayed qualifying session.
He subsequently crashed out in Q1 and was forced to start from the 14th after qualifying two places lower. Team-mate Russell had qualified on pole and finished fourth.
‘That was a disaster of a weekend guys,’ Hamilton admitted on team radio. ‘That’s the worst the car has ever been.
Teammate George Russell shows a lot more ‘interest’ in the Silver Arrows projects, says Steiner
Steiner thinks Hamilton is ‘not dealing very well’ with his car’s struggles this season
‘But thank you for continuing to try, and great job to the guys at the pitstop.
‘If this is the last time I get to perform,’ he added, hinting at a potential early end to his season, ‘it’s a shame it wasn’t great, but (I’m) grateful for you.’
Speaking after the race, Hamilton doubled down on his criticism of the car, adding that it was enough to make him want to take the rest of the year off.
‘It’s like a plank of wood. It’s like, no suspension,’ he added. ‘It’s bouncing on the tyres everywhere and you can’t get on the power anywhere.
‘It’s just the worst ride, I think the worst ride that we’ve definitely ever had, particularly through corners. It’s just so stiff.
‘But 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.’