Sarcasm seems to be the go-to mode for communication this weekend. It started with Max Verstappen expressing his love (read: hate) for the Sprint format at the Drivers’ Press Conference. Then, former driver Jenson Button showed his hate (read: love) for the Sprint format after the exciting racing action in the Brazilian GP Sprint. Verstappen wouldn’t have been too happy about that. That aside, it looks like Lewis Hamilton took inspiration from his 2021 rival and his former teammate to express just how happy (read: disgusted) he was to drive the W14 at the Brazilian GP.

Speaking of the Sprint at Interlagos on Saturday, it was a day to forget for Hamilton. After qualifying in P5, he could only cross the line in P7, owing to Mercedes’ shocking lack of pace and high degradation rate at the circuit. While he hoped Sunday might be better, he was in for a rude awakening.

Lewis Hamilton couldn’t be happier about 2023 coming to an end

Last time out in Brazil, Mercedes had its best race of the season. A shock 1-2 finish that no one saw coming became the bane of Hamilton’s 2023 existence. Mercedes’ zero-pod concept wasn’t working at all last season, but seeing that it worked in Brazil, Toto Wolff & Co. opted to continue using that design into 2023. Although the team finally accepted it was the wrong concept, Hamilton is still having to face its after-effects. Even though the W14 is now a B-spec, it’s still as uncomfortable to drive.

The seven-time champion started the Brazilian GP in P5. Come Turn 1 on Lap 1, he was already in P3. After an early Red Flag, he dropped to P4 on the restart. From there on, it was only one step after another down the pecking order. Who would’ve expected an Alpine and AlphaTauri to challenge a Mercedes (on merit) considering how their seasons have played out? But that’s precisely what happened this weekend, and Hamilton obviously wasn’t happy. 

After crossing the line in P8, he couldn’t control his excitement for coming one step closer to leaving 2023 behind. Hamilton exclaimed on the radio, “Yeeesssss! [Nearly the end of the W14]. It didn’t feel as disastrous as yesterday. I felt that I drove a good race in managing the tires than I did yesterday. We are really slow on straights and sliding the car through the corners.” He added, “We will go and look at this and see if we could do things differently. Two more races with this thing then no more driving it.”

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As much as Hamilton wouldn’t want to hear this, he predicted a few things after Saturday’s Sprint and most of them came true.

Lewis Hamilton prophesied his own doom (and slight success)

After a shocking Sprint on Saturday, Hamilton mentally prepared himself for another tough outing on Sunday. Fortunately (or unfortunately, you decide) for him, his preparation didn’t go in vain. He said, “[The Sprint] was horrible; it was not enjoyable whatsoever. A lot of understeer then snap oversteer, and just fighting the car from very early on. Then I had no tires in the end. I don’t really know how I am going to fix that for tomorrow.” Spoiler alert! He couldn’t fix it.

“It’s gonna be a long afternoon tomorrow, that’s for sure.” It certainly was for the seven-time champion. “I can only assume I’ve got the setup wrong, and it is what it is. I’ll fight as hard as I can tomorrow, but we won’t be winning that’s for sure.” Another prediction in the bag for Hamilton. Finally, “I’ll just see if I can manage the tires better.” If his post-race radio is anything to go by, he did this too!

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What were your thoughts on the W14’s performance at the Brazilian GP? Were you just as happy to watch Lewis Hamilton tick off another race from the season, bringing him closer to ending his misery?