‘I’ve had enough’: Lewis Hamilton bemoans three years of Mercedes failure
Lewis Hamilton has spoken about how tough he’s found Mercedes’ demise after two-and-a-half years without a win in Formula 1.
The seven-time world champion has endured his worst-ever star to an F1 season and, after finishing sixth in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, currently languishes ninth in the world championship and is already 109 points off leader Max Verstappen.
The 39-year-old will move to Ferrari next year and having not won since December 2021, Hamilton is keen to finish on a high with Mercedes despite the troubles encountered since the new set of regulations were introduced in 2022.
Asked after the Miami Grand Prix how he has coped with Mercedes’ demise, Hamilton told CBS: "It’s been tough. Of course we exist to win and when you’re not winning, your perspective has to shift.
“It’s just been about chasing and it’s about improvement. It’s about coming together.
"How can we make improvements? How can we get back to where we want to be and rallying? I actually really enjoyed that experience. But three years in now, we’re like, okay, I’ve had enough of this, let’s get back to where we belong.”
Despite opting for pastures new with Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton emphasised his “love” for the Silver Arrows, where he has claimed six of his seven world titles since joining from McLaren in 2013.
"I think everyone in the team, they want it to be a great year,” he added. "Everyone’s worked so hard back at the factory, no less than ever before.
"For me, this whole journey has been massively emotional just because I have so much love for this team. I’m not leaving because I’m unhappy there. I’m not leaving because of relationship issues.
"Mercedes supported me since I was 13 so I love the brand. I love the people. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. So it’s definitely a strange transition at the moment."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is taking his time in picking Hamilton’s replacement, with Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli the frontrunners to be George Russell’s team-mate. Max Verstappen is Wolff’s number one target, though it would be an unlikely move for next year given Red Bull’s current dominance.
Hamilton will be eyeing an improvement as F1 heads to Europe for the first time in 2024 with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola next week.
