When Lewis Hamilton finished a show run of Ayrton Senna’s iconic title-winning McLaren MP4/5B from the 1990 season ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, he called it the 'greatest honour' of his Formula 1 career.
Given Hamilton has won 105 races and seven world drivers’ championships since joining the grid in 2007, the high esteem in which he held the opportunity was remarkable.
Perhaps equally remarkable was his assessment of his woeful race weekend at Interlagos, one of the most disappointing of his long career, by the end of which he called his Mercedes car 'the worst it has ever been'.
The 39-year-old crossed the line 10th, up from his starting position of 14th, but toiled at the wheel of a car which trundled around the circuit far off the pace of the frontrunners.
Sliding off the damp circuit multiple times, Hamilton’s W15 looked stiff as a board through the corners, unresponsive at both slow and high speed, completely lacking anything like the stability required for its driver to be able to make decent progress.
A despondent Hamilton bemoaned the car regularly over team radio, telling race engineer Peter Bonnington: "The car’s not driveable mate. Locking up, bouncing everywhere." Later, referring to the violent jolting the car was suffering from throughout the race, Hamilton added: "I’m actually in a bit of pain, mate. How much longer have we got?"
However, the announcement before the weekend that he would be switching Mercedes for McLaren, and racing his hero Senna's championship-winning 1990 car around the circuit, would likely have got the seven-time champion through the pain that was to come.
Hamilton could not match his team-mates performance in Brazil
How did Lewis Hamilton react to disappointing Brazilian Grand Prix?
Once the chequered flag had finally fallen and Hamilton was able to take some respite from the damage being done to his spine, his judgement was even more brutal.
“That was a disaster of a weekend guys,” Hamilton said. “That was the worst the car has ever been. But thank you for continuing to try.”
The performance of the Mercedes has wilted significantly since the summer, when Hamilton was at the peak of his powers in the cockpit of a quick car during wins at both Silverstone and Spa, with the development path the team has taken since then seemingly knocking speed off the car rather than adding it on.
“We were just slow. The car was really, really tough,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “The worst ride definitely that we’ve ever had, particularly through corners. Just so stiff. Hopefully we won’t have any more bumpy tracks. I think the last three aren’t so bouncy. But yeah, I could happily take a holiday.
The Brackley-based squad have especially struggled to understand the performance of their floor, switching back to older configurations after updates led to dwindling results and multiple accidents for both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell.
Russell’s weekend was far more impressive than Hamilton’s in Brazil. He qualified second and overtook polesitter Lando Norris to lead the race in the opening stint, before falling away later and ultimately finishing fourth. Setup differences will no doubt have played a key role in the performance disparity, but consistent struggles with the car seem to have knocked Hamilton’s spirit, confidence and form.
Hamilton had previously enjoyed his run in Senna's car
When does Hamilton leave Mercedes?
This was undoubtedly one of the most dispiriting weekends Hamilton has endured in a long time. The raucous joy of those dual wins earlier this season feels very faint indeed now, and the contrast with how moving he clearly found the run in Senna’s car was stark.
“It’s very, very emotional, naturally,” Hamilton said after piloting the 34-year-old car. “I was just revisiting my childhood as I was watching [Senna] race here as a kid. Hearing that sound and watching him drive here, winning that race, I just couldn’t believe that I just had that chance to do that, and it was really the greatest honour of my career.
“To do it here in front of this beautiful crowd here in Brazil, who stood out in the rain all day yesterday, and then have been here since 4am or 3am this morning [is] a very, very special day and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who made this happen.”
Hamilton’s enjoyment of driving a great car in front of an adoring crowd is still clearly evident, then. But his desire for a holiday from the W15 and all its fundamental flaws is entirely understandable. Having been mired in the midfield for two winless seasons in 2022 and 2023, Mercedes’ summer form teased a return to consistently challenging at the summit of F1, but that notion has been comprehensively quashed.
Hamilton will only have to drive the Mercedes in three more grands prix, in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi as the season reaches its conclusion, before he finally makes his long-awaited move to Ferrari.
If the switch to the Scuderia’s scarlet red can help Hamilton harness the same passion for driving that his runout in his hero’s old machine clearly did, then the backache, confusion and disappointment of his miserable Mercedes denouement will soon be a distant memory.
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