Mercedes director pulls back the curtain on what Lewis Hamilton told the team after a disastrous qualifying session at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP
Mercedes director James Allison recently revealed what Lewis Hamilton said during a post-qualifying debrief at the 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. The seven-time world champion's last qualifying session with Mercedes was horrendous as he only managed to secure P16.
In the final stages of Q1, several drivers were clocking their final fast lap to get out of the drop zone from P20 to P16. This also included Hamilton, who was trying to move through the crowded track while maintaining ample pace. Since other drivers were clocking their laps before him, he was already in the drop zone.
Lewis Hamilton crossed the line but was unable to improve his lap time. He secured P16 for the last Grand Prix of 2024 and of his Mercedes career.
James Allison recently revealed on the Mercedes YouTube channel how Hamilton pulled his team members up even after a disastrous qualifying session. He said that during the usual post-qualifying debrief, the British driver encouraged the team to work hard on their last day together and made them recall all the good times they had together as a team.
"Qualifying was a difficult time for Lewis in this event, with his running with the ballard. He was disappointed, we were even more disappointed for him. And yet, in the debrief afterwards, when we were down in the mouth, he was telling us, 'Look, pick your chins up, we are going to make the most of tomorrow. And remember all the times when we have got this right together.'" Allison said at 1:21.
Mercedes director on how Lewis Hamilton's dominant years with the team overshadow his recent dip
Mercedes director James Allison explained how Lewis Hamilton's overall run with the team has been massively successful, even though he suffered a dip in performance in recent years. Speaking on the Mercedes YouTube channel, Allison said that Hamilton's dominant era can easily overshadow his recent years after 2021, where the British driver couldn't perform due to an inferior car.
I think that's what it feels like, we have had some difficult seasons recently. But over the span of this relationship, no other driver-team partnership has ever come close to matching what we had done together. And it has been a fantastic run for all of us. And we could not wish him more well than we did on that last day together," Allison said at 1:38.
Lewis Hamilton had an illustrious career with Mercedes. He won six of his seven world championships with them and also helped the team win eight consecutive world titles from 2014 to 2021.
In the 2021 F1 season, Hamilton's dominance in F1 ended after Max Verstappen clinched his maiden title after a controversial Abu Dhabi GP. Since then, Hamilton and Mercedes struggled to reach the top step and fight for titles against Red Bull and other top teams.
In early 2024, Ferrari announced that they had hired Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 F1 season. The seven-time world champion will soon move to the Italian giants after the year ends.