Ex-F1 David Coulthard has labeled Lewis Hamilton as the “biggest disappointment” of the 2024 season, citing his struggles to match both his past form and the performance of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Hamilton’s 2024 campaign was overshadowed by inconsistency and a noticeable decline in qualifying performances.
Though he delivered moments of brilliance, including a crowd-pleasing win at Silverstone that ended a two-and-a-half-year drought, the seven-time world champion’s year also featured notable lows.
Coulthard referenced a particularly moment for Hamilton in Qatar, where the Briton, facing another tough weekend, made an alarming admission: "I’m definitely not fast anymore."
The comment seemed to signal Hamilton’s awareness of his diminishing speed, which had become a recurring theme during the season.
Speaking to Viaplay about his picks for the 2024 season’s standout moments and disappointments, Coulthard – a 13-time Grand Prix winner – offered his candid assessment of Hamilton’s efforts.
“I would still point to Lewis as the biggest disappointment,” Coulthard remarked.
“I know that’s controversial as he’s a seven-time World Champion and a real winning machine, but I’ve never seen this Lewis in Formula 1.
“He was beaten in qualifying, while the greats can always find speed somewhere to squeeze out a qualifying lap when it really matters.”
©Mercedes
Coulthard’s comments come against the backdrop of a Mercedes team that struggled to keep pace with McLaren and Red Bull in 2024.
Despite Hamilton's unparalleled achievements in the sport – holding records for most wins (105), poles (104), and podiums (202), in addition to his seven World Championships – Coulthard believes his 2024 performance cannot be overlooked.
Coulthard also addressed the hype surrounding Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, acknowledging the financial benefits the Italian team has already reaped.
“Ferrari of course signed him early in the year and then everyone was very enthusiastic,” the F1 veteran continued.
“Ferrari’s shares shot up so fast that they have probably already eliminated all the costs of bringing in Lewis and [Fred] Vasseur [Ferrari team principal] of course knows him well.”
However, Coulthard warned that the financial gains don’t absolve Hamilton from the need to perform on track.
“But Formula 1 remains a sport that is very dependent on data,” he said. “The stopwatch doesn’t lie and at the moment it just doesn’t deliver in terms of lap times. So they have to worry a little bit.”
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Despite the concerns, Coulthard offered a glimmer of hop.
“But sometimes change is also good. Maybe the switch to Ferrari for Hamilton, putting on that red suit, works the same as Superman putting on his suit. But it will be an exciting time anyway.”
The 2024 season saw many twists and turns, with McLaren defying expectations by rising to the top of the sport.
Team papaya’s impressive development and victory in the Constructors’ Championship was another highlight for Coulthard, who believes the Woking-based squad is poised for continued success in 2025.
©McLaren
“They’ve been invested in this building schedule over a few years, and then got to mid — well, not even mid-season!” he told Channel 4 at the end of last season.
“We got a few races in, and suddenly they’re there. They’re showing pace. The upgrades are working.
“The drivers are working beautifully together, and that momentum has carried them to this championship.
“Everything is now set up for them to go into 2025 the favorites with winning drivers,” Coulthard concluded.
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