Lewis Hamilton finished tenth at the Las Vegas GP after a comeback from the back of the grid, yet he remains bitterly disappointed. When your name is Lewis Hamilton, it’s hard to be satisfied with a points finish—especially in what he has described as the worst season of his career. The 2026 season represents a chance to start anew.
Hard to celebrate a tenth-place finish
For someone like Lewis Hamilton, it’s difficult to find joy in a tenth-place finish, even when gained through an impressive recovery from the back of the grid. Having won so much in his career, it becomes increasingly difficult to accept a season he himself considers his worst in Formula 1, despite his continuous attempts to turn things around.
That is why today’s comeback in Las Vegas is not enough to console the seven-time world champion. After the race, Lewis Hamilton expressed all his disappointment and frustration over another weekend with limited satisfaction, compounded by his last-place qualifying, which reflected the ongoing struggles with getting the tires up to temperature—a problem that also affected Charles Leclerc, though to a lesser extent.
The season-long struggle
This struggle has been a recurring theme throughout his season. Even though some improvements were visible in the second half of the year, both in his rapport with the team and in performance relative to his teammate, the spark with the SF-25 never ignited—and realistically, it won’t: “At this point, there won’t be a click. I’ve tried everything, inside and outside the car.”
This lack of connection is painful, as Lewis Hamilton has had to face, weekend after weekend, a season (and an entire technical cycle) he hopes to close as soon as possible to start fresh next year. The hope is that with the new cars, he will finally have the opportunity to build the trust and feeling that have been missing so far.
Reflections on the Las Vegas GP
“I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and no matter what I do, it just keeps getting worse,” admitted the British driver after the Las Vegas race. A tenth-place finish in a comeback wasn’t enough to erase the bitterness of a weekend without smiles, even though the free practice sessions had offered some optimism.
However, the rain changed the dynamics of the race, and the decision to start on hard tires in the first stint, in hindsight, was not the best choice to mount a comeback. The medium tire held up better than expected. It was still reasonable to attempt a long first stint, hoping for a Safety Car—a very real possibility on this circuit—that could have turned the race in his favor.
“Zero. Ten positions mean nothing”
It’s no surprise that Lewis Hamilton was blunt when evaluating his comeback, placing it in the wider context of the season: “Zero. Ten positions completely irrelevant, they mean nothing. It’s still a negative weekend.”
A weekend to forget for Ferrari too
The weekend was disappointing not only for Lewis Hamilton but also for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc could do no better than sixth, mainly due to poor qualifying in wet conditions, leaving valuable points on the table in the fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
This objective now seems increasingly out of reach, and Hamilton has taken part of the responsibility, though the strong performances of Mercedes and Red Bull in recent races—often ahead of Ferrari—have already shifted the balance, making second (and perhaps third) place more distant.
“I don’t even know how many points we have, but at this rate, with my performance, there’s no chance [of finishing second],” Lewis Hamilton added. A weekend to forget in a year he hopes will end as quickly as possible.
With only Qatar and Abu Dhabi left, Lewis Hamilton’s thoughts are already turning to next year. This season – the one he openly labels his worst ever – can’t end soon enough.
