Lewis Hamilton Says He Considered Early Mercedes F1 Exit After Brazilian Grand Prix

Legendary Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton admitted this week that there was a moment during the Brazilian Grand Prix earlier this month where he felt the desire to bring an early end to his tenure at Mercedes.

Hamilton was heard on the team radio during the race suggesting that it would perhaps be his final race with Mercedes, and he told reporters Thursday that he was speaking from the heart in that moment:

"In the moment that's how I felt, like I didn't really want to come back after that weekend. But I think that's only natural. It's frustrating when you have a season like this, which I'm pretty sure I won't have again, or at least I'll work towards not having again.

"It wasn't a great feeling in that moment, but I'm here, I'm standing strong and I'm going to give it absolutely everything for these last few races."

Hamilton is in the midst of his final season with Mercedes before making the leap to Ferrari next season, but despite his comments in Brazil, he plans to see things through to the end by running the final three races of the 2024 campaign for Mercedes.

The 39-year-old Hamilton qualified a disappointing 16th for the race in Brazil before finishing 10th in rainy conditions., which is foreign territory for arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time.

Hamilton holds the all-time F1 record for race wins with 105, and he is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most career F1 drivers championships with seven.

For all his dominance, the past few years have been something of a slog for Hamilton, as nothing has come easily.

Although he finished sixth in points in 2022 and third in 2023, he didn't win a single race in either season. Hamilton got back in the win column this season with victories in the British Grand Prix and Belgian Grand Prix, but consistency has eluded him.

Due to having to retire from two races and registering five other finishes of ninth or 10th, Hamilton is only seventh in the standings.

If Hamilton doesn't move up at all over the final three races of the season, it will mark his worst-ever finish in the F1 standings since debuting in 2007.

Despite the trials and tribulations of the season, Hamilton claimed Thursday that he is in a positive headspace and ready to go out on a high note, saying:

"Honestly, I feel in the best place I've been all year mentally, and considering how bad the last race was, I think that says enough.

"I'm still here, still fighting and I'm going to continue to push. I've got a team that I genuinely still love, and even though I am leaving, I want to make sure I give them the best I can in these next races. If they provide a car that wants to stay on track then hopefully we'll have a better result."

Hamilton and Mercedes will long be remembered as one of the best partnerships in the history of motorsports, so it would only be fitting for him to end his tenure with the team triumphantly.

A storybook points title in his final season at Mercedes won't be in the cards with Max Verstappen dominating once again, but Hamilton will have three more chances to get another race win under his belt before departing for Ferrari.

It starts Sunday with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, followed by the Qatar Grand Prix on Dec. 1 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec. 8.