Hamilton delivers Mercedes ‘accountability’ vow after ‘devastating’ weekend

Lewis Hamilton has vowed that both he and Mercedes will “take accountability” following his dismal Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend. 

Whilst team-mate George Russell qualified second and led the Interlagos race before finishing fourth, Hamilton was on the fringes of the points all weekend, and suffered a second Q1 exit in three races on pure pace in the tricky conditions.

In the race, he could only climb to 10th, and not get past Liam Lawson’s RB as he branded the weekend “crap” and suggested the end at Mercedes “could not come soon enough.”

The most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history now has just three races left together, as Hamilton admitted it was “devastating” to be enduring such bad weekends as his move to Ferrari edges closer.

“It is devastating to have these bad races in the second half of the season,” Hamilton told media including RacingNews365.

“But all I can say is that we’re trying coming into the weekends, but it is definitely not acceptable, it is definitely not good enough. 

“We have to take accountability, I have to take accountability, but I am driving and doing the best with what I have got.

“The car has been the worst [in Brazil], and I don’t know what it is, we’re going to have to find out what it is. 

“But the mechanics did a great job in getting here and doing practice stops at 4am, and with all the work they’ve done on the car throughout the weekend, one of the cars was working a lot better, so there is obviously potential.”