Lewis Hamilton heaps pressure on Mercedes staff in glum Abu Dhabi GP verdict

26 November 2023 , 16:48

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Lewis Hamilton was glum after finishing ninth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Image: Sky Sports)

Lewis Hamilton piled the pressure on his Mercedes team to deliver a title-fighting car in 2024 as he reacted glumly to his damp squib of a last race of 2023.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been the scene of some of Hamilton's great triumphs over the years. But it has also brought some of his lowest moments.

Finishing ninth on Sunday was not the worst day Hamilton has ever had at the Yas Marina Circuit. But he certainly wasn't in a great mood as he spoke in the media pen.

He has been waiting for the end of this race for weeks at it means he will never have to drive the W14 again. But even when asked if that was something to smile about he replied: "Not particularly."

And he also gave a glum response when asked if he could take anything from this season to help him in the future. He said: "Not too much, really. It's not been a great year in general so there's not a lot to take from the year. The fact that I survived it? That's probably about it."

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Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi race with ease while Charles Leclerc and George Russell joined him on the podium. Sergio Perez was second on the road but a five-second time penalty dropped him to fourth place in the final classification.

It was Verstappen's 19th win of a record breaking season while Red Bull have taken victory in all but one of the 22 races this year. And that's despite having focussed all their car development efforts on their 2024 machine for several months now.

Hamilton referred to that when he was asked about his hopes for 2024. He has previously said that the team will have to develop at a faster rate than ever if they are to close the gap in time for the start of the new season.

And he piled further pressure on his colleagues to deliver a car in which he and team-mate Russell will be able to take the fight to Verstappen and Red Bull. He said: "At this moment I don't really know. For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds in the end when they haven't even developed their car since August is definitely a concern.

"But we've learned a lot about the car and it's just down to the team now. They know what they need to do - whether or not they get there, we'll see."

Daniel Moxon