Lewis Hamilton vents frustration over being “so slow” during US GP Sprint on team radio

Lewis Hamilton has often struggled with the woeful Mercedes' W15 during the ongoing 2024 Formula 1 season.

Lewis Hamilton vents frustration over being “so slow” during US GP Sprint on team radio

Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver around COTA. Aiming to add a great sprint under his belt at Austin, the Brit arrived at the US GP with high expectations. However, the Sprint race has already unraveled his venture as he was heard venting about the W15’s slow pace to his team.

Mercedes arrived with major upgrades to Austin similar to McLaren and Red Bull. This translated into a front-row start for George Russell, who was merely a few hundredths behind Max Verstappen. However, Lewis Hamilton had a woeful qualifying session for the sprint and only salvaged a P7 result.

Despite having a subpar qualifying, the 39-year-old wanted to have a better Sprint race. On the contrary, his expectations were trundled upon by the disobedient nature of the W15, and he asked the team why he was losing pace to his rivals.

Where am I losing? We’re so slow.

Lewis Hamilton said over the radio

Moreover, Hamilton had been struggling to keep the rear axle of his challenger inside the white lines in the traction zones. This made the Brit’s Sprint quite unremarkable as he had to cope with the tantrums caused by the W15.

A similar struggle goes on the other side of the garage at Mercedes

While Hamilton struggled during the race, his teammate was also not happy with the sliding rear end of his Mercedes. The 26-year-old started on the front row but was soon swarmed by faster Ferrari drivers, who got past him without much trouble.

Mercedes' George Russell and Lewis Hamilton
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Subsequently, George Russell struggled to maintain his P5 finish on the road and was in danger of losing the spot to Hamilton. This made him apologize to his team on the radio after the race, as he claimed that despite his efforts, the prancing horses had the best of him in an eventful race for the young Brit.

Sorry about those overtaking Ferrari’s but they were in another league. No grip from the tyre.

George Russell said over the radio

On the other hand, Verstappen took his first win since the Spanish GP (although a sprint triumph). This helped him extend his lead on Lando Norris in the driver’s title by two points as the Brit’s former teammate Carlos Sainz, made daring moves to get into P2, which has somewhat aided the Dutchman in his ongoing title defence.