15 November 2023 , 15:40
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Lewis Hamilton has admitted Mercedes don't have a "race-winning car" - casting doubt over their Las Vegas Grand Prix hopes.
Toto Wolff's Mercedes are on the verge of completing their first winless campaign in Formula 1 since 2011, with only two races remaining. The first takes place in Paradise on Sunday before the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
Max Verstappen is expected to win in both Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, having won 17 of the previous 20 races this season to defend his world title. His team Red Bull have also won the Constructors' Championship, sitting 400 points ahead of Mercedes in second.
Mercedes are in danger of slipping to third in table, as they are only 20 points ahead of Ferrari. Wolff will be desperate for drivers Hamilton and George Russell to keep hold of second spot, but their car might not be good enough to do that.
Hamilton has raised concerns about his motor ahead of Sunday's race. Mercedes struggled last time out in Brazil, with Hamilton finishing eighth and Russell retiring. The seven-time world champion was asked about that poor result during a chat with Sky Sports.
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Hamilton said: "Yeah, we 100 per cent know what went wrong. But, still, ultimately we didn't do a good job. We got a lot of learnings from it in terms of where we need to go and where we need to develop. Through failure, there's always a lot of things you can learn.
Hamilton is keen to close the gap between himself and Max Verstappen (Getty Images)Do you think Mercedes can win in Las Vegas? Let us know in the comments below!
"Mostly, you learn from those experiences. I think, coming here, we hopefully will have a better approach. But we still don't know how the car is going to be here. It's still not a world championship-winning car and I don't think it's even a race-winning car."
Mercedes chief Wolff is aware of the team's below-par car and ready to fix the problem. He said after the Brazilian GP: "It is totally baffling and unacceptable. We are a proper structure, a solid team but that didn’t look like a solid team today.
"For me personally, it was the worst weekend in 13 years (in F1). The development of that car has been about putting plasters on something that was not right and it shows that it is so unpredictable that it can swing either side.
"Fundamentally, we will have a different car next year and today proves that is the right thing to do. It feels horrible for the whole team. And I wish we could start the new season concentrating on the new car."