Lewis Hamilton's Canadian GP Bombshell: 'One of the Worst Races I've Driven'
Lewis Hamilton's performance at the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix turned out to be a rollercoaster of highs and lows. The seven-time world champion candidly expressed his dissatisfaction, labeling his fourth-place finish as “one of the worst races I’ve driven” in Formula 1.
While his team-mate, George Russell, managed to steal a podium finish with a late-race overtake, Hamilton could only reflect on missed opportunities and a series of errors that marred what could have been a triumphant outing. Despite the setbacks, his Canadian GP weekend still marked his best result of the season so far, raising both hopes and questions for the Mercedes camp.
Starting seventh on the grid proved to be an uphill battle from the get-go. Hamilton found himself trailing Fernando Alonso in the early laps, stuck behind the seasoned veteran's Aston Martin. The race dynamics shifted during the pit stops under a Safety Car intervention, allowing Hamilton to squeeze past Alonso. Fortune seemed to smile briefly on Hamilton as he capitalized on an incident between Russell and McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri at the final chicane.
However, Russell, armed with fresher Medium tires, swiftly caught up with Hamilton and executed a masterful overtake at Turn 14 to reclaim the third spot. As Russell clinched Mercedes’ first podium of the season, Hamilton was left to ponder over what went wrong.
Hamilton's post-race comments were telling of his inner turmoil. “I’m not really much different. It was just over the weekend, just a really poor performance from myself,” he lamented. “Yesterday, some other things came into it yesterday, but mostly myself, and then today, just one of the worst races that I’ve driven. Just lots of mistakes, but of course, if I qualified better, I would have been in a much better position, so it is what it is. I will go back to the drawing board.”
These self-critique sessions indicate Hamilton's relentless drive for perfection, even as he acknowledges the competitive strides made by Mercedes. “I think this weekend the car was capable of winning,” he admitted. “That’s why it’s not such a great feeling, but we’ll take the points and keep moving, keep trying.”
Despite the frustration, Hamilton found solace in the burgeoning potential of his car. He praised the Mercedes team for their hard work that had made the W15 more competitive. “On the positive note, big, big thank you to everyone back at the factory for progressing this car, because it is becoming a car we can fight with,” he continued. “That’s a real positive going into this next part of the season. I know we’ll have hopefully some more upgrades coming along the way, so it’s going to be a close battle, and if I get my head on right, I’ll get better results at some stage.”
As Mercedes continues to iron out the kinks and push for more updates, Hamilton remains wary but optimistic. The Canadian GP may have been a tough pill to swallow, but it could well serve as a catalyst for stronger performances in the races ahead.