Hamilton and Mercedes ready for SHOCK U-TURN

Lewis Hamilton’s final season at Mercedes should have been his swan song but has instead been his worst year in Formula 1.

There have been some highs, with an emotional win at Silverstone and an impressive performance in Spa, but those summer victories have been overshadowed by the champion’s performance nightmares in Austin, Mexico and Brazil over the past month.

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In recent races, McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari have established themselves as the front runners, and Mercedes have been left trailing behind in no man’s land.

However, one of Hamilton’s defining characteristics is his resilience to adversity, and he will not want to leave the team on this current low.

Which is why you should expect a performance U-turn for Hamilton and Mercedes in the final three races of the 2024 season.

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If Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, is to be believed, the team are completely giving up hope of a win in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

"The big focus in these remaining races for us is learning what we can… Our focus has very much shifted to learning what we need to this year to apply to next year in order to get on top of those issues.” he said to Motorsport.com.

Whilst these are not the fighting words associated with a comeback, it does alleviate the pressure for Mercedes to perform in the upcoming final races, which could be beneficial to the team.

Unlike their rivals, they will not be embroiled in championship squabbles in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, and potential friction between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren could play perfectly into Mercedes’ hands.

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Furthermore, George Russell came close to a podium if not a win in Brazil before losing out to the red flag, and this performance potential should inspire Mercedes going forward.

However, Hamilton was unable to extract the same performance from his W15 at Interlagos, so how can he possibly lead a comeback with his current struggles and frustrations?

Perhaps the champion should look towards his own words for inspiration, which could give him that extra push to help turn Mercedes’ performances around at the end of the season.

November 15 marks the anniversary of Hamilton's seventh world title, and his celebratory statement should be employed in his final races with Mercedes.

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"Nothing is impossible. A driving force for me this year has been to set an example for the next generation, to never give up on your dreams," Hamilton said at the 2020 Turkish GP.

"I was told by many that my dream was impossible, yet here I am. I want you to know that you can do it too.

"Never give up, keep fighting, and let’s keep rising to the occasion."

If Hamilton adopts this attitude and invokes the sentiments of previous championship victories with Mercedes, he and the team could go out on a high in 2024.

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