“One of my worst sessions.”
This is what Hamilton had to say after charting a low 18th in the second practice in the Australian GP, as Mercedes admitted that their set-up test massively backfired. Hamilton admitted frankly that he is “the least confident” he has felt at the wheel of the W15 so far.
Since the news hit of Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, it’s all anyone can talk about. The fans have been buzzing, comparing it to Messi moving to Real Madrid. After all, Hamilton is moving to the arch-nemesis of Mercedes, the team with which he has won so many championships. To non-followers of the sport, it seems like betrayal, and insanity almost. But fans of F1 and fans of Hamilton will understand the decision made and sympathise with the veteran legend. Mercedes has let him down, and I’m not just talking about this practice session.
Hamilton in his prime was an absolute force to reckon with. Like Verstappen is to F1 currently, he used to rack up wins and secure championships like he was born to do it. Races would start with Hamilton’s name written all over it, it was his to win and no one else’s. He created a legacy with Mercedes that brought him immense glory, and with his long-time partner-in-crime Valterri Bottas alongside him and with a Mercedes machine that was so good people thought it was cheating, Mercedes was looked up to as the standard in racing.
Teams were giving their hearts and souls just to compete close to Mercedes, and even then, they weren’t getting close. Mercedes and Hamilton dominated proceedings for years, and after he lifted his prized eighth championship and equalled the most number of championships with the pioneering Michael Schumacher, he still had good years left in his career. And how things were looking then, Hamilton looked well on his way to overtaking Schumacher’s tally and adding the most important record to a treasured career. But that’s when things began to fall. And when it rains, it does pour.
This practice session is just a peek into how Mercedes has been doing ever since that title in 2020. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Mercedes just couldn’t keep up with the explosive young gun Verstappen and Red Bull, finding themselves playing catch-up and at the rear end of a plethora of issues mechanically. And this slow but burning descent into a mid-table team would have hurt Lewis Hamilton the most. The management just hasn’t met the expectations they should have, and as angry as fans are about the state of the team, that much sympathy they would have for their beloved Hamilton.
As Mercedes is closer than ever to the departure of their fabled Hamilton chapter, they need to pick up the legacy that they’ve built with someone whose name has been synonymous with Formula 1, and muster up a farewell that, at the very least, mustn’t sour the fond memories that Lewis carries of Mercedes.
