Lewis Hamilton wasn’t holding back as he told Mercedes that his W15 was the “worst” it had ever been as he completed the Brazilian Grand Prix in 10th place.
Hamilton had a wretched time at the Interlagos circuit, a track where he has won three times in the past, but this weekend all he achieved was a single point and a sore back.
Lewis Hamilton: At least one car was behaving
Hamilton had a difficult start to the weekend, complaining of pain during Friday’s FP1 as he struggled with bouncing.
“I’m actually in a bit of pain, mate. How much longer we got?” he asked his race engineer Pete Bonnington late in the session. He was told one more lap.
His weekend went from bad to worse as he didn’t have the pace in Sprint qualifying or the Sprint, finishing down in 11th place before being eliminated from Sunday morning’s qualifying in 16th place. “Damn car,” he rued as he made his way back to the Mercedes garage.
Speaking to the media as his team-mate George Russell contested Q3 and qualified up on the front row of the grid, Hamilton said: “The car I have right now, it’s the worst I’ve ever driven.”
It was a complaint he reiterated to Mercedes at the end of the 71-lap Grand Prix.
“That was a disaster weekend, guys,” he radioed to Mercedes after taking the chequered flag in 10th place. “That’s the worst the car’s ever been.
“But thank you for continuing to try, great job.
“To all the guys that are pissed off, if this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame it wasn’t great, but grateful to you.”
Breaking down the Brazilian GP and the numbers that matter
👉Brazilian GP conclusions: Why Max Verstappen is the master manipulator
👉The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings after the Brazilian GP
As Russell went on to finish the Grand Prix in fourth place, Hamilton could only recover to 10th where he was almost 30 seconds down on his team-mate.
“We were just slow, it was really, really tough,” he told Sky F1.
“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 [with Russell]. At least one car was behaving.”
Hamilton suffered severe porpoising throughout the weekend and complained about his W15’s set-up.
“It’s like a plank of wood,” he lamented. “There’s no suspension. It’s just bouncing on the tyres, everywhere. Can’t get on the power anywhere.
“The worst ride definitely that we’ve ever had, particularly through corners. Just so stiff.
“Hopefully we won’t have any more bumpy tracks. I think the last three aren’t so bouncy, but yeah, I could happily go take a holiday.”
Sunday’s result meant Russell overhauled Hamilton in the Drivers’ standings, taking two points ahead with the team-mates sixth and seventh respectively.
Mercedes are in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, 162 points behind third-placed Red Bull and 296 ahead of Aston Martin.
Read next: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell fined for FIA investigation over tyre pressure breach