Lewis Hamilton's words after the disappointing weekend of Brazilian Grand Prix were a heavy blow for Mercedes. After being eliminated in Q1 during qualifying, Hamilton bluntly declared: “It’s the worst car I’ve ever driven”. A heavy statement that was echoed during the race, when the Englishman finished in tenth position, collecting only one point. “It’s been a disastrous weekend, guys”, he told his team on the radio, showing a palpable frustration. The reaction of Guenther Steiner, former team principal of Haas, was not long in coming, who in the podcast Red Flag expressed his opinion on Hamilton's criticisms.
Guenther Steiner's analysis: "Hamilton already feels free to speak"
According to Steiner, the British man's words reflect a different attitude than in the past, as if Hamilton was already freeing himself from the pressure, knowing that his chapter at Mercedes is now coming to an end. “The car is not the best, it is maybe fourth on the grid on a good day,” commented Steiner. “Lewis knows he’s going to leave anyway, so it’s easier for him to complain openly.”
Steiner also highlighted the difference in approach between Hamilton and his teammate George Russell. “George must prove that he is the leader of the future at Mercedes,” he added. “He knows his place is not guaranteed, so he tries to give his best and adapt to the car, while Lewis seems tired of the situation.”
Steiner's jokes about Mercedes
Also during the podcast, Steiner joked about the possibility that Hamilton could steal technical secrets from Mercedes before his move to Ferrari. “Nobody wants that intellectual property!” he said, laughing. “Maybe they want me to take it so they know what not to do.” It was a tongue-in-cheek dig, but it was also a criticism of Mercedes’ difficulty understanding the behavior of the W15, a car that has often left engineers and drivers without answers.
Mercedes' problems and uncertainty about the future
Mercedes has struggled throughout the 2024 season, finding itself far from the competitiveness it is used to. Hamilton has repeatedly highlighted his lack of confidence in his car, complaining about an unstable rear end and a nasty bouncing issue that has compromised his performance in both the dry and wet. “The car feels like a wooden board,” he said after the Interlagos race. “There is no suspension, it just bounces on the tyres. It is devastating to have such bad races in the second half of the season.”
Steiner, for his part, highlighted Mercedes’ difficulties in finding a solution to the W15’s downforce problems. “I think these ground-effect cars are extremely difficult to interpret,” he explained. “The correlation between the wind tunnel and the track is not clear, and often what works in theory does not translate into real-world performance. McLaren seem to have understood this better, introducing updates that worked immediately.”
Looking to the future: Hamilton's departure and Antonelli's arrival
With three races left before Hamilton moves to Ferrari, the Mercedes team is preparing to close a historic chapter. The seven-time world champion has already expressed his desire to turn the page, and his place will be taken by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a young promise of Italian motorsport. The challenge for the future of Mercedes will be to regain the lost competitiveness, banking on the energy and talent of the new arrival.
Steiner concluded his speech with a comment on the future of the Brackley team: “It will be interesting to see how they adapt without Hamilton.. The team dynamic will change, and it will be crucial that Antonelli finds the right rhythm immediately. But if Mercedes cannot solve the problems of this car, even the best driver in the world will struggle”.
Source statements: PlanetF1
