F1 News: Lewis Hamilton OUT at Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes misery continues

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Saudi Arabia, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Australian Grand Prix

Hamilton OUT at Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes misery continues

The seven-time world champion's season continues in poor fashion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 23 March 2024 06:57 Updated: 07:13

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Lewis Hamilton failed to make it out of the second part of qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion's pace during FP3 earlier on Saturday had led to suggestions that he and team-mate George Russell could challenge for pole position.

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However, their pace throughout qualifying had seemingly been lost, and Hamilton could only put in a time good enough for ninth, before being pushed down into 11th by great laps from Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.

It means that Hamilton has been out-qualified by Russell in every qualifying session so far in 2024.

Lewis Hamilton's 2024 has started in poor fashion

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025

Hamilton's miserable season goes on

Hamilton's season has started in poor fashion, with the Brit sitting down in ninth in the drivers' championship, and failing to make any real impression in any qualifying or race session so far.

It was suggested by former Formula 1 race winner David Coulthard that Hamilton had mentally checked out of his final season at Mercedes, knowing what's to come.

The 39-year-old will join Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, in a last-ditch attempt to claim a record-breaking eighth world championship title.

If Hamilton is excited about that move to Maranello, he is likely to be buoyed to see Ferrari being Red Bull's closest challengers throughout the three race weekends so far in 2024.