Mercedes F1 star SACK risk revealed after brutal performance verdict

George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Hungary, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Mercedes star SACK risk revealed after brutal performance verdict

A Mercedes F1 star's seat is not 100 per cent safe according to a former team boss

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 11 November 2024 11:56 Updated: 21:28

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A Mercedes star is at risk of being sacked from the team according to a former F1 team boss.

Despite claiming three victories this season, Mercedes have struggled to maintain a consistent level of performance during the recent triple-header.

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Lewis Hamilton in particular was unable to extract any pace out of his W15 in Austin, Mexico and Brazil, where he only picked up 13 points having DNF'd at the US GP.

The champion appeared especially frustrated following the Brazilian GP where he labelled the car as the ‘worst it has ever been’ and that it was a ‘disaster’ of a weekend.

Lewis Hamilton has struggled in recent races

Lewis Hamilton was left particularly frustrated after the Brazilian GP

Is Lewis Hamilton’s performance dip temporary?

Whilst Mercedes’ struggles seem to be getting the better of Hamilton at present, he will not have to endure them for much longer as he prepares to move to Ferrari.

The Brit will be replaced at Mercedes next year by youngster Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell will be eager to take on the role of number one driver.

However, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner does not believe that this role will be automatically bestowed upon Russell when Hamilton leaves, and has even suggested that he could be sacked when his contract expires at the end of 2025.

"The car is what it is. It’s not the best car, it’s the fourth best car at the moment on a good day," Steiner said on The Red Flags Podcast.

"I think Lewis knowing that he’s leaving anyway, it’s easier to complain.

"George has got all the interest to do whatever is there to get it out of it to show that he’s the leader of the team for the future.

"He has to prove that, because he knows that his seat when his contract is up, is not 100 per cent safe, so he just tries to do his best, puts everything into it."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Brazilian GP