Lewis Hamilton came away with a DNf from the Australian Grand Prix. On lap 17 of the race, his W15’s engine incurred an issue and he had to retire from the event. With the Japanese GP weekend taking place in full swing, it has come to light that Hamilton’s failed engine can’t be used again.

Lewis Hamilton is running his second engine at the Suzuka International Circuit out of his 2024 allotment. The situation with the Albert Park engine is so severe that it’s just not usable for the remainder of the ongoing season.

Mercedes’s communications director, Bradley Cooper shed light on the situation during the recently concluded Japanese GP FP1 session.

The status on the engine is it’s out of the pool. We had a really sudden bottom-end failure in that engine, having taken it back to the factory after Melbourne and tracked it back to a quality process problem rather than a design issue. But the status of it is that it’s out of the pool and he’s on his second power unit of the season for this weekend and going forward.
Bradley Cooper said in an interview with SkyF1
The above-mentioned verdict is a body blow for the seven-time world champion. Especially considering, that there are still a total of 21 Grand Prix events remaining on this year’s calendar. As things stand, Hamilton only has two engines remaining in his 2024 engine allotment.

Lewis Hamilton feels ‘optimistic’ going ahead in 2024
While Mercedes’s communications director has given a damning verdict of Lewis Hamilton’s Australian GP engine, the latter is feeling optimistic going ahead into the ongoing campaign. He is currently 10th in the 2024 driver’s standings.

Hamilton genuinely feels Mercedes can improve the lackluster W15 in the coming races. In a recent interview around the car, he gave a short and crispy answer.

I definitely do feel more optimistic about this car, yeah.
Lewis Hamilton said in an interview with Planet F1
The Brackley-based Mercedes F1 team currently has the fourth-fastest car on this year’s grid. McLaren has managed to get the jump on them but keeping in view the number of races remaining this year, there is ample time for Hamilton and company to improve and move toward the extreme north end of the grid.