Hamilton in MAJOR F1 demotion as key Ferrari details......

Hamilton in MAJOR F1 demotion as key Ferrari details…….read more

Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 Formula 1 season has been a challenging one, with multiple setbacks and disappointing results. Despite winning two races, he finished a lowly seventh in the drivers’ championship, trailing behind his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. This was a stark contrast to Hamilton’s usual dominance, having won six of his seven titles with the Mercedes team. The year was marked by his struggles to extract peak performance from the W15 car, which was clearly underperforming. Even though Hamilton secured a victory after George Russell was disqualified, the gap in the points standings—22 behind Russell—remained significant. At one point during the season, Hamilton even hinted at retiring early due to his frustration with the car’s lack of pace.

In addition to his personal challenges on track, Hamilton now faces further disappointment off it. According to reports, he was snubbed by his peers in a significant vote conducted by Formula 1. At the end of every season, the F1 team principals—representing all 10 teams—rank the drivers based on their performances throughout the season. This vote is an important reflection of how team bosses view a driver’s efforts during the year.

For the fourth consecutive year, Max Verstappen received unanimous support from all the team principals, who ranked him as their top driver. Verstappen’s dominance in 2024, where he continued his reign as the reigning world champion, led to his maximum points in the rankings. However, it was Hamilton who faced the most notable demotion in this year’s rankings. The seven-time world champion, who has been one of the most successful drivers in F1 history, dropped two places in the standings compared to 2023, finishing in seventh position overall. This meant Hamilton was ranked lower than his teammate, Russell, who came in fifth. Not only did he drop behind Russell, but also both Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who were ranked ahead of him.

This result marks a particularly tough moment in Hamilton’s illustrious career. To finish behind a teammate and two Ferrari drivers is a far cry from the consistent top rankings he has enjoyed in previous years. The snub from his fellow team principals is a clear indication of how his 2024 season was perceived within the F1 paddock. While Hamilton remains one of the sport’s most successful and celebrated drivers, this ranking highlights the struggles he faced on track this year.

In further developments, reports from Italian media have confirmed the date of Hamilton’s first run in a Ferrari car. While speculation around his potential future with Ferrari has long existed, it now seems certain that the 39-year-old will test for the Italian team at some point in the future. This comes amid ongoing rumors about Hamilton’s future with Mercedes, as his current deal expires at the end of 2025. Despite his struggles in 2024, Hamilton’s status as a high-caliber driver still makes him an attractive prospect for other teams, with Ferrari seemingly keen to evaluate his performance behind the wheel of their car.

Although Hamilton’s 2024 season ended on a low note in terms of both performance and recognition, his legacy as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history remains intact. Whether he can turn things around in the final stages of his career remains to be seen, but the challenges he faced this season have certainly brought a different dynamic to his long-running saga in Formula 1.