In Last Word On Sport’s series of 2024 F1 Reviews, we turn to Mercedes, who faced a challenging season despite securing four wins.
Mercedes’ Tumultuous 2024
Mercedes have concluded yet another disappointing season under the new regulations introduced in 2022. Although they have celebrated four wins this year, the eight-time world champions team has proven that they are still far from being title contenders.
The W15 is the first car since 2022 that Mercedes have launched that includes sidepods. Its predecessors – the W13 and W14 – featured the bold zero-pod concept, although a few races into 2023, is when they ditched the zero-pod concept.
Mercedes launching the W15 with sidepods was proof that the team realised they gained no real advantage with zero-pod.
However, the season started out in a rather disappointing manner, with the W15 looking somehow weaker than its predecessors.
During the early rounds of the season, the W15 had a difficult combination of low-speed understeer and high-speed oversteer. Lewis Hamilton described it as, “the slower you go, the less the car wants to turn,” with the car then becoming very nervous at the rear in high-speed corners.
This unbalanced behaviour hindered the team’s progress, leaving them playing catch-up from the very start of the season.
As we dive into the details of Mercedes’ turbulent 2024 campaign, we’ll explore their struggles and moments of hope. From a disastrous double DNF in Australia to a long-awaited podium return in Montreal, the season has been a rollercoaster.
We’ll also cover how McLaren’s rise and Ferrari’s resurgence put additional pressure on Mercedes, while Russell and Hamilton each faced their own challenges.
Despite some triumphs, like George Russell’s victory in Las Vegas and Lewis Hamilton‘s stunning recovery in Abu Dhabi, the season ended on a low, with Mercedes continuing to fall behind their rivals in the race for the title.
A dreadful start
Entering the third year of the new regulations, expectations were high for Mercedes to close the gap.
Bahrain wasn’t too bad of a start, as George Russell managed to qualify in P3, just three-tenths off of polesitter Max Verstappen. However, overheating issues dropped him to P5, while Lewis Hamilton, starting P9, managed P7 after battling similar problems, even reporting his battery at 1% mid-race.
In Jeddah, Russell and Hamilton qualified P7 and P8, respectively, but the W15’s lack of pace saw them finish sixth and eighth.
The early rounds highlighted a worrying regression from the already underwhelming 2023 and 2022 campaigns.
By Australia, things reached a low point with Mercedes’ first double DNF in over five years – Hamilton retired with a power unit failure, and Russell crashed on the penultimate lap.
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Left behind
The Japan and China weekends cemented fears that Mercedes would end 2024 without a podium. At Suzuka, Russell finished P7 and Hamilton P9, highlighting their struggles.
China offered brief hope when Hamilton qualified P2 and finished second in the Sprint despite his teammate being knocked out of SQ2. However, in the main race, poor qualifying and poor pace limited Russell to P6 and Hamilton to P9, underlining their inability to challenge frontrunners. Meanwhile, McLaren, a Mercedes customer team, showcased their rapid progress, even threatening Red Bull’s dominance.
McLaren’s rise was undeniable at Miami, where Lando Norris secured his maiden Grand Prix win, while Mercedes trailed again, with Russell and Hamilton finishing P6 and P8.
At Imola, Ferrari leapfrogged Mercedes with upgrades that saw Leclerc claim P3, just seven seconds behind Verstappen who at one point this season was winning races by 20+ seconds. Mercedes’ best efforts yielded P6 for Hamilton and P7 for Russell.
Ferrari’s resurgence peaked in the next round, where Leclerc ended his Monaco curse with a win, followed by Piastri and Sainz on the podium. Mercedes’ struggles continued, with Russell in P5 and Hamilton in P7.
Back on the podium
After eight challenging rounds, Mercedes finally returned to the podium in Montreal.
To address persistent handling issues, the team brought their controversial front wing, first introduced in Monaco, back to the Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell secured a stunning pole position and converted it into a P3 finish, while Hamilton followed closely in P4.
Considering podiums had seemed out of reach in the rounds before, this result marked a significant morale boost for the Brackley-based team.
Adding to their relief, Ferrari endured a disastrous weekend with both drivers retiring, allowing Mercedes to solidify their position.
In Barcelona, it was Hamilton’s turn to shine, securing P3 in a fiercely competitive race featuring Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Verstappen, Norris, and Hamilton claimed the podium spots, with Russell and Leclerc completing the top five.
The end of a drought
Austria saw McLaren as the fastest team, closely followed by Red Bull, with both expected to dominate. However, late drama unfolded when Verstappen and Norris collided during the closing laps.
Russell, perfectly positioned to capitalize, inherited the win – Mercedes’ first victory of the season, a feat that seemed unattainable earlier. Hamilton finished just outside the podium in P4.
This marked Mercedes’ first Grand Prix win since Brazil 2022, making them the fourth team to claim a victory in 2024.
Silverstone brought more joy to the team and fans alike. Mercedes locked out the front row in qualifying, with Russell on pole and Hamilton alongside him.
Though Russell retired due to a water leak, the weekend highlighted Mercedes’ significant progress and resilience.
Despite stiff competition from Norris and Verstappen, Hamilton delivered a commanding drive on race day, crossing the finish line first on the Hamilton Straight.
After a two-year drought, Hamilton was a race winner again, a much-needed boost for the Brit.
READ MORE: 2024 F1 Review: A Season of Shifts and Surprises for Red Bull
Win 105!
Mercedes’ resurgence continued in Hungary, where Hamilton joined race winner Oscar Piastri and Norris on the podium. Russell, meanwhile, finished P8 but bounced back brilliantly at Spa.
At the Belgian Grand Prix, Russell defied team strategy, opting for a risky one-stop race. His bold call initially paid off, crossing the line just 0.5 seconds ahead of Hamilton. However, post-race FIA checks revealed his car was underweight, leading to disqualification.
The win was then Hamilton’s to claim, marking his second victory of the season. Piastri and Leclerc completed the revised podium, while questions lingered over Russell’s aggressive tyre strategy and its role in the weight discrepancy.
The fall off
Off the back of a victory before the summer break, Mercedes faced a challenging period starting with the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s struggles began with a Q2 elimination and a three-place grid penalty for impeding Sergio Perez, placing him 14th on the grid. Russell qualified P4, but the race ended with the duo in P7 and P8, respectively.
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza saw Ferrari surpass Mercedes once again. Leclerc claimed victory for the Maranello-based team, while the Mercedes-powered McLarens secured a double podium. Mercedes, however, could only manage P5 with Hamilton and P7 with Russell, despite starting higher.
As the next rounds unfolded, it became evident that Mercedes had been outdeveloped by rivals who began the season at a similar level.
In Baku, Hamilton started from the pit lane and recovered to P9, benefiting from a late crash between Sainz and Perez. Russell, meanwhile, capitalized better, finishing P3.
At COTA, Ferrari dominated with a one-two finish while Mercedes endured a rough outing.
Russell crashed in qualifying, damaging new W15 components, while Hamilton spun out of the race on Lap 3 at the same corner as Russell did in qualifying.
The poor performance highlighted the shortcomings of Mercedes’ final upgrades.
The going gets tougher
In Mexico, Mercedes opted for split strategies.
Russell ran an older spec car, while Hamilton used the latest W15 iteration, which suffered from severe imbalance. Even Toto Wolff acknowledged Hamilton’s preference for the older spec.
The challenges continued in Brazil, where Mercedes entered the weekend with no upgrades, having shifted focus to the W16. The team also had to run lower rides in Brazil due to intense bouncing (particularly on Hamilton’s car) which sacrificed their newfound straight-line speed advantage.
Russell and Hamilton tested different setups, with Russell’s appearing slightly more balanced. Although, just as Hamilton did, Russell had brake issues during the race.
Hamilton struggled with a snappy, low-grip W15, evident in his onboard footage. Despite these issues, both drivers finished in the top 10, though the weekend fell short of expectations.
Hamilton found a moment of solace in Brazil when he drove Ayrton Senna’s iconic McLaren MP4/5B after qualifying, a fitting tribute for the honorary Brazilian citizen. However, the race weekend underscored Mercedes’ struggles, with Russell finishing P4 and Hamilton rounding out the top 10 after starting P14 due to penalties.
The sprint race offered little respite, as Russell and Hamilton finished where they qualified, P6 and P11. In the main race, Russell, starting from P2, finished P4, while Hamilton managed only P10 from a P14 start, concluding a tough weekend for the Brackley-based team.
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Viva Las Vegas!
After a disappointing weekend in Brazil, Mercedes aimed to turn their fortunes around at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The circuit, with its cooler desert conditions and three long straights, seemed tailor-made for the W15’s strengths.
From FP1 to the race, Mercedes dominated the weekend, topping every session. On race day, George Russell capitalized on his pole position to secure his second victory of the season.
Lewis Hamilton, despite a challenging qualifying session that left him starting in P10, showcased exceptional pace. The seven-time world champion fought his way through the pack to finish in P2. It was Mercedes’ 60th one-two finish in their history.
To top it all off, it was Mercedes’ 60th one-two in their history.
Low point
As Mercedes headed into the penultimate round of the season, hopes were high for a positive conclusion to Hamilton’s storied career with the team. However, the Qatar Grand Prix weekend turned out to be one of his most challenging.
In his final sprint race for Mercedes, Hamilton started P7 and managed to gain just one position, finishing P6. George Russell, on the other hand, began the sprint in P2 and secured a respectable P3 finish.
The main race marked a new low for Hamilton’s season. Starting from sixth – half a second off his teammate Russell, who started in pole after a penalty for Max Verstappen – Hamilton endured a frustrating race. He finished a distant 12th, his worst result of the year.
The seven-time World Champion incurred penalties for a false start and speeding in the pit lane, adding to his woes. At one point, he asked over team radio whether his car was damaged, reflecting his frustration.
In the final stages, Hamilton pleaded with the team to retire the car, but the pit wall denied his request, leaving him to endure a disheartening conclusion to the race.
One last dance
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked both the end of a thrilling F1 season and an iconic partnership between Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
It was Hamilton’s 246th race with Mercedes, and he hoped to finish on a high after the disappointments of Qatar.
However, the weekend started miserably for Hamilton.
In qualifying, Mercedes sent Hamilton out early in Q1 on Hard tyres. This put him out of sync with the rest of the field.
In the dying minutes of Q1, disaster struck. The floor of his W15 hit a bollard, knocked onto the track by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
This stroke of bad luck prevented Hamilton from improving his time, and he was eliminated from qualifying.
The team’s strategy raised questions, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff later apologized, blaming the execution of the session for Hamilton’s lowly starting position.
Hamilton qualified P19, but after penalties were applied, he started the race in P16. Russell started from P6.
Mercedes opted for a different strategy for Hamilton, starting him on the Hard tyres. Though it was a difficult compound for the opening stint, the decision proved to be the right one.
When others switched to Hard tyres after starting on Mediums, Hamilton pitted for the more favourable Medium compound and began his final stint on better tyres.
Hamilton’s recovery was nothing short of remarkable. He passed teammate Russell on the final lap to claim P4, capping off his Mercedes career with a spectacular drive.
After crossing the finish line, Hamilton celebrated with a series of doughnuts on the pit straight. Emotions high, he climbed out of his car, kneeling beside it, and took a few quiet moments to reflect.
In his final race for Mercedes, Hamilton drove from P16 to P4. It was the epitome of a seven-time champion’s resilience, closing an iconic chapter in style.
Mercedes’ 2024 F1 season: A rollercoaster ride to the end
Mercedes’ 2024 F1 season was a tale of highs and lows, marked by their struggles with the W15, occasional flashes of brilliance, and a few shocking setbacks.
While the team secured four wins, including an emotional victory for Hamilton at Silverstone, it was clear that they had not closed the gap to Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
Their inability to consistently challenge for the title highlighted the ongoing challenges they faced with the car, especially in terms of balance and performance.
Despite the positives, including Russell’s triumph in Las Vegas and Hamilton’s valiant drive in Abu Dhabi, Mercedes’ season ultimately ended on a bittersweet note.
While their 2024 campaign demonstrated resilience and moments of redemption, it was evident that the team needed to make significant strides in development to remain competitive.
Looking ahead to 2025, the team faces a new era with Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari, making way for the highly promising Kimi Antonelli.
The 18-year-old Italian driver will bring fresh energy to the team. However, the pressure will be on Mercedes to ensure the W16 is capable of bridging the gap to their rivals.
With a new driver lineup and fresh perspectives, Mercedes will have to regroup and recalibrate their approach. Especially if they are to reclaim their place as genuine title contenders.
The challenge is on, and the 2025 season promises to be a pivotal year for the team.
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