Hamilton to be REPLACED at Mexican GP after Austin horror show

Lewis Hamilton is set to be replaced at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, less than a week after his disastrous showing in Austin last time out.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion was forced into an early retirement at the Circuit of the Americas, after losing control of his Mercedes on the third lap.

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It was a bitter blow for the 39-year-old, who had made a blistering start to move into 12th place, having started the day in 19th after enduring a dreadful qualifying session the previous day, a late demotion for his team-mate bumping him up to 18th for lights out.

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The British star had hoped to finish his time at Mercedes on a high ahead of his move to Ferrari next year, and showed glimpses of his world-class talent earlier this season, winning at both Silverstone and Spa.

But the champion has experienced a drop-off in performance since returning from the summer break, once again finding himself well off the pace of his main rivals.

With just five races remaining in 2024, he is running out of chances to make another appearance on top of the podium with the Silver Arrows.

Hamilton will have another opportunity to add to his 105 race wins this Sunday in Mexico City, but will be watching on from the sidelines during FP1 as his future replacement gets behind the wheel instead.

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It will be the second time Kimi Antonelli has stepped in behind the wheel of the Mercedes in recent months, and the young Italian will be hoping for a better outcome on this occasion having spun off the track on his previous appearance in Monza.

The replacement has come not as a result of Hamilton's poor performance at COTA, but instead because it is a requirement for every F1 driver on the grid to skip a session during the season for another driver who has no more than two grands prix starts to their name.

Speaking to the official team website, the 18-year-old said: “I’m looking forward to driving in FP1 and playing my part in helping the team make a good start on track this weekend.

“It is a new circuit for me and one I have been working hard to prepare for. The altitude makes it unique and it’s a challenge I’m excited to experience.

“I want to thank for the team for giving me this opportunity to contribute.”

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