Gloomy Hamilton not expecting much in Mexico: 'Losing time all the time'
F1 News
A pessimistic Lewis Hamilton says it has been a "normal" thing to be "losing [time] all the time" as he does not expect much from the Mexican Grand Prix. In his final year at Mercedes before making the huge move to Ferrari in 2025, it has been a season of ups and downs, but the end of his time at the German team looks to be coming to a disappointing end.
Hamilton's time at Mercedes has been one of the most successful driver-constructor partnerships the sport has ever seen, winning six of his seven world titles at the German team. And this season, he has also earned two race victories, including a record ninth win at the British Grand Prix.
However, after agonisingly missing out on a record-breaking eighth world title in 2021, Mercedes have not been able to fight at the front of the grid, and his 2024 season has been one of the most disappointing in recent memory. In qualifying, his pace especially has been very poor throughout the season, and it is something that was shown once again in Mexico City as the Brit could only qualify in P6.
Hamilton says he is "used" to his poor qualifying session
Speaking to Sky Sports after yet another poor qualifying session, he was asked why he is losing so much time compared to his rivals when it matters most: "I'm losing [time] all the time, that's why I've been so bad in qualifying all year. It's a normal thing and I'm used to it. Every time I get to qualifying the car is completely different. I can't pinpoint why, but it is what it is."
As a result, Hamilton is not expecting too much from today's Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit: "We have done everything. We worked so hard in the background, like everyone does, to get the car in a nice place. It was feeling good in final practice, so we were like, 'Let's not touch anything or do anything'. All we changed was the rear wing and it's just a drastic difference."
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