Lewis Hamilton believes he could have easily won the Las Vegas GP. The 7-time Champion regrets his scrappy qualifying session, which he identifies as detrimental to his chances of victory.
Hamilton frustrated to miss out after exceptional Mercedes performance
After a series of difficult races since their COTA updates, Mercedes bounced back in Las Vegas.
The W15 came back to life in the cooler conditions of Nevada, establishing itself as the fastest car from Practice 1.
George Russell capitalised on the team’s superior pace by converting Pole Position to victory.
For Lewis Hamilton, the Las Vegas GP was largely a recovery drive. The 39-year-old spent most of his race making up places after starting from 10th on the grid.
Hamilton managed to close the gap on Russell in the closing stages – and he believes he was more than fast enough to win:
“If I’d done my job yesterday, it would have been a breeze today,” he told Sky Sports.
“But it’s ok. I had fun coming from 10th. The team did a fantastic job.
“We don’t know why we were so quick this weekend, but that’s the best the car’s ever felt. So I’m grateful to have been a part of getting it to that point.
“If the car drives like that in the next couple of races, then I think we’ll be in a good spot to challenge the guys up front.”
Mercedes can be extremely satisfied with their 1-2 finish, although it ultimately won’t impact their position in the standings.
If the W15 can perform at a similar level in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, James Allison’s technical team will enter the winter break with huge confidence about their 2025 package.
For Lewis Hamilton, this weekend was another frustrating chapter to his final year with Mercedes.
However, the British driver will be hugely optimistic about Ferrari’s pace – which is likely to carry over into next season.
