Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton had a very difficult 2024 season, and P7 in Pit Debrief’s F1 Driver Rankings reflects it.
Despite his wins in Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, and four podium finishes, including that in the 2024 Chinese GP Sprint Race, Hamilton finished with 223 points — 22 points behind teammate George Russell, and 214 points off championship winner Max Verstappen.
Hamilton’s seventh-place finish in the 2024 World Drivers’ Championship and Mercedes’ fourth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship is a disappointing albeit not entirely unexpected end to an otherwise successful 12-year partnership between team and driver.
Hamilton suffers slow start to 2024 season
In February 2024, the world was shocked when Lewis Hamilton announced that he would leave Mercedes at the end of the season to join Ferrari on a multi-year contract.
While Hamilton’s announcement sent shockwaves rippling through the F1 community, his performance in the 2024 Bahrain GP was significantly less explosive. He qualified a disappointing P9, six places behind his teammate George Russell, and finished P7 after experiencing problems with his battery, brakes and seat during the race. He described the Bahrain GP as “tough“.
Unfortunately for Hamilton, this would be the first of many “tough” races in the 2024 season. Just one week later, he finished the Saudi Arabian GP P9 after failing to reap the benefits of an alternate tyre strategy. Again, Hamilton noted issues with the car, particularly in the high-speed areas of the track.
Hamilton faced further disappointment in Australia when a power unit issue forced him to retire from the race on Lap 15. He had started the race P11, after failing to make it out of the second qualifying session (Q2).
Unfortunately, Hamilton’s struggles with the W15 would become a recurring theme throughout the season. Though the Brackley-based team would ultimately end the season fourth in the World Constructors’ Championship, few can deny that the W15 could be unpredictable at best and unreliable at worst. Even Mercedes Team Principal, Toger “Toto” Wolff has admitted that Hamilton’s difficulties in the W15 had less to do with the driver and more with the car and its incompatibility with his driving style.
Hamilton takes first ‘podium’ of 2024 during Chinese GP sprint
Hamilton would not set foot on the podium until the 2024 Chinese GP weekend. He enjoyed a fantastic sprint qualifying, earning himself his first start from the front row of the season. He used his P2 starting position to his advantage during the sprint races, taking the lead from pole-sitter Lando Norris on the first lap. While Hamilton eventually lost the lead of the race to Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in Lap 2, he managed to keep ahead of the rest of the field, despite the better pace of Ferrari’s SF-24 and McLaren’s MCL38.
Unfortunately, Hamilton could not replicate his success during the afternoon’s qualifying session. He qualified a disappointing P18 after a costly mistake on his final lap of Q1. While Hamilton did make his way back up into the points, he finished the race P9 – a repeat of his final position in Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Hamilton enjoys mid-season success
Hamilton’s next podium would not come until the 2024 Spanish GP, though it was in Canada that his luck appeared to be changing for the better. After P6 finishes in Miami and Imola, and a P7 finish in Monza, Hamilton went into the Canadian GP weekend with a measly 41 points – 13 less than his teammate Russell – and, allegedly, much frustration over Russell’s potentially preferential treatment.
Despite this, Hamilton had a strong start to the weekend, even topping the third free practice session (FP1). However, the British driver could not replicate his FP3 performance in qualifying. He qualified P7, after a series of mistakes. His teammate, Russell, took pole – the second of his F1 career – after studying Hamilton’s FP3 data.
Hamilton ultimately finished the 2024 Canadian GP P4, just barely missing out on the podium by 0.6 seconds. He did, however, set the fastest lap time of the race, earning himself a consolatory championship point. Russell, who emerged victorious from a wheel-to-wheel battle with Hamilton, finished P3.
However, just two weeks later, it was Russell’s turn to watch his teammate’s podium celebrations from the sidelines. Despite further difficulties with his, admittedly-upgraded, W15, Hamilton enjoyed a strong, clean performance during the race. He finished P3, ahead of Russell who finished P4.
Unfortunately, Hamilton could not maintain this momentum going into the 2024 Austrian GP. He finished the sprint P6 and the race in P4 after qualifying P6 and P5 respectively. Russell, on the other hand, finished the sprint P4 before taking his second F1 victory from the race. This marked another instance where the seven-time world champion was out-qualified and outscored by his younger teammate. Hamilton admitted that his performance in qualifying during 2024 had been less than ideal.
Memorable victory at Silverstone ends long losing streak
However, just one race later, during the 2024 British GP, it would be Hamilton’s turn to stand on the top step of the podium. Hamilton went into the weekend as a tentative favourite to take victory at the Northamptonshire track. However, despite his record eight wins in Silverstone, and Mercedes’ improved performance, there were doubts over whether the thirty-nine-year-old veteran would be able to meet expectations. After all, he had not won the British GP since 2021. More than that, he had won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP.
However, despite any doubts, Hamilton quickly proved why he was the most successful driver around the Silverstone circuit. Despite a tricky start to the session, which saw him unable to get past his teammate George Russell in the first laps, and the further loss of position to Norris in Lap 19, Hamilton’s experience in the wet conditions, and Mercedes’ sound judgement calls on his tyre strategy, allowed the British driver to take and hold on to the race lead, ahead of Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Russell, unfortunately, retired from the race on Lap 33 due to a water leak.
Hamilton’s victory in Silverstone was a memorable and remarkable one, for the driver, team, and fans alike. Not only did Hamilton show his prowess and experience as driver, but he allowed his home fans a chance to celebrate his final home victory with Mercedes, the team with which he has won six of his seven world championships. Hamilton also added another record to his list of accolades – most wins by a driver at the same Grand Prix.
Contentious victory in Belgium
While Hamilton could not earn a consecutive win in Hungary, he finished P3, despite a collision with Verstappen in Lap 63. While Verstappen accused Hamilton of moving under braking, the stewards did not penalise either driver. Hamilton later stated that he viewed the incident as nothing more than a racing incident. Albeit, this incident helped him hold on to his P3 finishing position. Despite successfully undercutting Verstappen, Hamilton had lacked pace on the hard compound tyres. Had the incident not occurred, Verstappen, more likely than not, would have eventually overtaken him.
He did however, take victory in Belgium, though under less-than ideal circumstances. Despite starting P3, Hamilton found himself running behind Russell in the final stages of the race after the latter initiated a surprise one-stop strategy which allowed him to keep the lead. Hamilton, despite stating that he wanted to remain on track, was in called in for a second-pit stop, and though his tyres were in better condition than his teammate’s, he found himself unable to get past.
Though Hamilton crossed the line second, and stood on the second step of the podium, he ultimately inherited the race win after his teammate’s car was found to be underweight. Russell, who had crossed the line first, was disqualified.
Though Hamilton did not know it at the time, this victory at the Belgian GP would be his last with Mercedes.
A less-than-desirable return after 2024 summer break for Mercedes’ Hamilton
Hamilton suffered disappointment upon his return from the summer break. He finished the race P8 after starting P11. This, unfortunately, was a sign of things to come. Despite his best efforts, Hamilton was not able to return to the podium in Italy, Azerbaijan, the United States, Mexico or Brazil. While some of the blame could be placed on the W15’s lack of pace and allegedly unsuitable upgrades, Hamilton himself acknowledged that his performances in qualifying sessions were not ideal. Despite this, he persevered. This perseverance allowed him to claim his final podium finish for Mercedes at the 2024 Las Vegas GP.
Hamilton shows his class in 2024 Las Vegas GP
Despite topping both free practice sessions, Hamilton’s weekend appeared to be taking a sour turn after he qualified P10 for the 2024 Las Vegas GP race, nine places behind Russell who qualified on pole. However, eyes were not on Mercedes in Las Vegas. Instead, they were focused on the title fight between Verstappen and Norris, and admittedly on some drama between Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Despite this, it was the Brackley-based team which impressed. After a dominant performance, Russell earned his third F1 win. Hamilton, after a sound recovery, finished 7.3 seconds behind his teammate.
While Verstappen would ultimately be the star of the evening (or very early morning given that the race finished close to midnight), after securing his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship win, Hamilton’s Las Vegas GP podium finish was a significant one for both driver and team. Though he did not know it at the time, the 2024 Las Vegas GP would be the last race where Hamilton stood on the podium in his Mercedes kit. He finished the Qatar GP P12 and the Abu Dhabi GP P4.
The end of an era
One cannot deny that Lewis Hamilton has earned his place among the greats. After all, he holds the records for most career wins and for most wins with a single constructor (Mercedes). He has seven world championships, a record that he shares with Michael Schumacher.
However, it is unreasonable to claim that Hamilton was the best driver of the 2024 season. After all, though he finished seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, this is the lowest that he has ever finished in all 18 years of his F1 career. More than that, while he scored 223 points this season, this is the lowest number of points that he has scored under points system introduced in 2019.
Of course, it is not fair to blame Hamilton’s performance, or lack thereof, solely on the driver himself. The W15 was a flawed and difficult car, that ultimately, could not hold up against the MCL38, the SF-24, or even the RB20. More than that, as admitted by Wolff himself, Hamilton’s issues with the car were less an indicator of the drivers’ ability, and more a consequence of W15 not suiting Hamilton’s driving style. If a car does not perform optimally, it is unreasonable expect perfect performance from its driver. That Hamilton finished P7 is an indicator of his talent and experience.
However, Hamilton’s performance was not flawless. He made many mistakes throughout the season and his performance in qualifying often left much to be desired. The driver himself has acknowledged this. It is for this reason that Hamilton ranks 7th in Pit Debrief’s 2024 driver rankings.
