Lewis Hamilton‘s performance at the Brazilian Grand Prix highlighted the tough season Mercedes has had. While finishing 10th was a letdown, his cryptic message on the team radio sparked talk about his future in F1. The Brit described the W15 as the worst car he’s driven in years and that the weekend was disastrous for him.

Mercedes is currently the fourth fastest car on the grid, making it easier for Lewis Hamilton to complain as he’s leaving for Ferrari. Former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner highlighted that George Russell is focused on proving himself as a future leader, knowing his seat isn’t secure. Meanwhile, Hamilton, dissatisfied with the car’s performance, is less motivated as he prepares for the next phase of his career.

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,I think Lewis knowing that he’s leaving anyway, it’s easier to complain. George has got all the interest to do to whatever is there to show that he’s the leader of the team for the future.

Gunther Steiner said (via Red Flags Podcast)Steiner also touched on the topic of Intellectual Property (IP) in relation to Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. He joked that teams would like to have the Silver Arrows’ IP right now just to know what not to do. Nobody wants it!

Maybe they want it to know what not to do. It’s like ‘get me the IP so I know what not to do. Gunther Steiner addedRELATEDMcLaren reveals two key ‘points’ behind Lando Norris falling back in title tussle against Max VerstappenGunther Steiner asserts Lewis Hamilton ‘doesn’t need to be’ in Mercedes’ meetingsAfter struggling in the last few races, Lewis Hamilton has lost motivation and stopped attending Mercedes briefings.

With his move to Ferrari in 2025, his focus has shifted entirely to his new team. Gunther Steiner (via IMAGO)This change in priorities means he’s becoming less involved in Mercedes’ current projects. Potential Intellectual Property restrictions might also keep him from certain meetings to avoid sharing sensitive information with Ferrari.

However, Gunther Steiner believes that Hamilton’s presence in the meetings is no longer needed as he’s got enough experience to deal with it. His engineer Peter Bonnington‘s presence is enough to understand the agenda discussed. Lewis has so much experience he doesn’t need to be in these meetings, His engineer is in there anyway, because you need to set the car up and obviously has to give the feedback what he wants on the car.

I mean, the car, it is what it is. Gunther Steiner statedRELATEDCarlos Sainz confesses Red Bull and Mercedes snubs ‘hurt his driver ego’Hamilton is likely looking forward to the next three races to end his Silver Arrows stint on a high. Despite Mercedes’ challenges, his competitive spirit will drive him to perform strongly in the final races.