Lewis Hamilton described his Mercedes F1 car as feeling like “a plank of wood” during a frustrating race to 10th place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion endured a forgettable weekend at Interlagos. After being eliminated in SQ2, he could only manage 11th place in the sprint race. Then, in regular qualifying on Sunday morning, he suffered a Q1 exit. Reflecting on the difficult run.
Hamilton said, “The worst ride definitely that we’ve ever had, particularly through corners. Just so stiff. Hopefully we won’t have any more bumpy tracks.”
He added, “I think the last three aren’t so bouncy, but yeah, I could happily go take a holiday.”
With three Grands Prix and one sprint race left, Hamilton now trails his teammate George Russell by two points, slipping to seventh place in the drivers’ standings. The Sao Paulo race continued to be a struggle, with Hamilton going off track multiple times, though he managed to salvage a single point by the end of the race.
While Russell managed a strong performance with a front-row start and a fourth-place finish, Hamilton was left questioning his car’s handling, describing it as “undrivable” over team radio.
He expressed his frustrations to Sky Sports F1, saying, “We were just slow. The car was really, really tough.”
Hamilton, however, didn’t forget to acknowledge his team, adding, “But I do really want to say a big thank you to the guys in the garage. They turned up super early this morning and still did a great job throughout the weekend. I know everyone back in the factory will be feeling the pain. The team could have won, also, today. At least one car was behaving.”
When asked about the issues he was dealing with in his W15, Hamilton compared the ride to “a plank of wood,” noting that there was “no suspension” and the car was “just bouncing on the tyres, everywhere. Can’t get on the power anywhere.”