At the Japanese GP, Lewis Hamilton showed a rare and new side to his racing. He let his teammate George Russell pass him. But what was more surprising was that he voluntarily initiated the team orders instead of the normal other way around. While it was evident that Hamilton was struggling with the steering, Former Ferrari Manager Peter Windsor couldn’t help but highlight the oddity of the move and Mercedes’ “sad” state of affairs.

In the post-race interview, the 7-time champion explained how “huge understeer” on his W15 was the culprit of the position swap. He explained that his Mercedes had sustained damage in an incident with his future teammate Charles Leclerc. And swapping positions with Russell was best for the team. This caught Peter Windsor off guard, considering Hamilton’s reluctant past to obey team orders.

“It was a very odd thing for Lewis.. out of character thing for Lewis to do at that stage of the race given how reluctant he’s been in the past to give in to team orders, and to let George pass,” Windsor said on YouTube. “Especially, with Nico (Rosberg) as well. It was a very acquiescent Lewis Hamilton we saw in the early stages of the race which was a bit uncomfortable to see.”

“Just a really messy day for Mercedes, as if they didn’t have any answers to anything. If they did have answers, they’d be doing a better job. They got beaten very clearly not only by McLaren but also by Fernando’s Aston Martin. Both are customer teams to Mercedes. It is just sad times.”

“Sad times” seems like an understatement for what Hamilton is going through. The Briton couldn’t even convince himself to highlight any positives that they might have had at Suzuka.

Lewis Hamilton feels helpless after a subpar Japanese GP

Though Lewis Hamilton is fully committed to Mercedes this year, he might just be counting down the days till 2025. The Brackley outfit hasn’t made his life easier and it was more than evident at the Japanese GP.

“I don’t know if you can take many positives from the weekend,” the Briton said post-race, “The car finished which is good, but we’re like, you know, seventh, eighth, ninth fastest, so… yeah.”

The Chinese Grand Prix is up next. Hamilton has won the race 6 times, including the last race held there in 2019. Though it seems unlikely that the 7-time champ can make it 7 wins in Shanghai, a podium could be in the books.