F1 News: Could Antonelli replace Hamilton for last 3 races of 2024? (Update)

Mercedes has denied swirling rumours that Brazil could have been Lewis Hamilton’s last grand prix for the team.

As his difficult 2024 season descended to a new low at Interlagos, the Ferrari-bound seven time world champion said on the radio after the chequered flag: “If this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame it wasn’t great.

“But grateful for you.”

Later, he told reporters he is now looking forward to “Christmas”, adding: “I could happily go take a holiday.”

According to the PA Sport news agency, however, another theory is that Hamilton may simply have been sending a message to on-site Mercedes team members who will not be attending the final trio of races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Journalist Philip Duncan wrote: “Mercedes have said there are no plans for Lewis Hamilton to be absent from the next race in Las Vegas following the seven time world champion’s mysterious radio message after the Brazilian GP.”

Does it make sense for next year’s Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton for the final 3 races of the 2024 season? Hamilton is not performing well, his car is not performing well, and Antonelli could use the additional seat time ahead of his first full season in 2025.

In a brief exchange over team radio following the São Paulo GP, the British racing legend hinted at a possible end to his time in Mercedes gear. “If this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame it wasn’t great, but grateful for you.”

Has an agreement been made with Hamilton, if you sit out the last 3 races for Kimi, you can do the post-season test with Ferrari in Abu Dhabi? Mark Cipolloni reporting

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton may have dropped a worrying hint about his immediate future in Formula 1.

2024 has been somewhat awkward for the seven time world champion, as he has faced the entire season knowing he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the year.

The 39-year-old has struggled with Mercedes’ volatile 2024 car, but his exasperation was never clearer than throughout the recent Brazilian GP weekend.

“Terrible. Terrible,” Hamilton said when asked about his Mercedes at Interlagos. “You tell me,” he told a reporter when asked to explain what precisely is wrong with the silver W15. “That’s the million dollar question.

“If you can find the answer, I’ll give you a million dollars,” the Briton joked.

“Qualifying was bad, the sprint was bad. The race was rubbish. Driving (Ayrton) Senna’s car was the best thing of the weekend.”

Hamilton was among those who have complained the most about the bumpy ride and stiffness of the current ground-effect era cars since 2022, but he said it hit a new low in Brazil.

“It’s like a plank of wood. It’s like, no suspension,” he said.

“Hopefully we won’t have any more bumpy tracks. I think the last three aren’t so bumpy. But yeah, I could happily go and take a holiday.”

F1 still needs to travel to Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to complete the season, before Hamilton can exchange his black overalls for Ferrari ones in 2025.

He openly admitted he is now eagerly looking forward to next year, especially with Ferrari currently performing significantly better than Mercedes.

“I’m very interested in my future, of course,” Hamilton said. “In that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens.”

And after crossing the finish line on Sunday, Hamilton – to be replaced by Kimi Antonelli for 2025 – hinted that Brazil might actually have been his last race for Mercedes.

“That was a disaster of a weekend guys,” he told his team on the radio. “That is the worst the car has ever been.

“If this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame it wasn’t great. But grateful for you.”

When asked about the final three-race run until the end of the season, he then told reporters: “If they give me a car that doesn’t bounce in the next three races, maybe I can get a better result.

“But yes, I am looking forward to Christmas.”

Many drivers, including 43-year-old Fernando Alonso, struggled with the excessive bumpiness of the newly-resurfaced Interlagos track last weekend.

“Both,” said Hamilton when asked if his problems at the weekend were track or car-related. “But it’s mainly the car. There was something wrong with it.

“It’s so exhausting to have all these bad races in the second half of the season. The only thing I can say is that every time we start a weekend, we do our best. But this is unacceptable. It’s not good enough,” he charged.

Hamilton suggested that he cannot realistically head to Las Vegas, Qatar or Abu Dhabi targeting victory. “I am going to focus on other things,” he said.

“I am not fighting for the world championship, so it doesn’t matter really where I finish. I don’t care if I’m in front or behind George (Russell). It makes no difference to me.”