Lewis Hamilton Delivers Mercedes 2024 Championship Verdict

Saajan Jogia | Aug 20, 2024

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain speaks during media availabilities at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Taking into account Mercedes' recent performance gains, Lewis Hamilton stated that the team needs to keep pushing in a similar way to increase its points tally in the championship. However, the seven-time world champion emphasized that aiming for a championship victory would be too high to hope for.

The opening races of the 2024 season seemed like a replay of a dull 2023 season for Mercedes until the Canadian Grand Prix, when a late surge in performance saw the W15 F1 car finish in the top three positions in all the races since. The resurgence led George Russell to win the race in Austria, while Hamilton secured victories at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

While the enhanced pace can be attributed to the team's constant work on the car and the enhancements that followed, Mercedes has won the most races to date since the Monaco Grand Prix, equaling Hamilton's two wins to championship leader Max Verstappen in the same period.

Moreover, Mercedes outperformed McLaren on several occasions, despite the latter now reportedly having the fastest car on the grid. As teams return from the summer break, it will be intriguing to see how Mercedes' strong form influences the outcome of the final ten races in the gruelling 24-race season.

Currently stationed fourth with 266 points in the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes is 142 points adrift of Red Bull on the top with 408 points, while Hamilton rests in sixth place in the Drivers' Standings at 150 points, 12 points behind Carlos Sainz in fifth, and a massive 127 points from Verstappen in the top position at 277 points.

Despite Mercedes' promising pace, the 39-year-old believes that a championship win would be too much to hope for, though the team could elevate its position for a much better conclusion to the season. When asked about the championship-winning prospects, he told Formula1.com:

“No. It would be high hopes.

"But, I mean, if we can continue this kind of performance as we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic… I think if we can start our weekends off a little bit better, hopefully we can continue.

“I think, obviously, the McLaren was very strong [in Belgium], we were just a bit further ahead early on [in the race], but yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”

With the next ten races marking Hamilton's final stint with Mercedes, the second half of the season promises to be particularly significant. As Hamilton prepares to transition to Ferrari in 2025, where he will replace Carlos Sainz, every moment on track could be a poignant reminder of his 11-year journey with the Brackley outfit.