# Lewis Hamilton — 2024 season

Source: https://www.thef1formula.com/seasons/lewis-hamilton-2024
Last updated: 2026-07-01

> Lewis Hamilton's 2024 season with Mercedes saw a challenging start under the ground-effect regulations, culminating in two wins and a 7th-place finish in the Drivers' Championship.

Lewis Hamilton entered the 2024 Formula 1 season with Mercedes AMG F1 under a unique spotlight, his impending move to Ferrari for 2025 already announced. This marked his final year with the team that had delivered six of his seven world championships. The ground-effect era, characterized by [tunnel-floor ground-effect regs, 18-inch wheels, and simplified aero](https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-championship), had proven challenging for Mercedes since its introduction in 2022, following Red Bull's dominance in 2022–2023. The expectation for 2024 was a field that had closed up, and Mercedes aimed to return to consistent front-running contention, providing Hamilton with a platform to add to his win tally before his departure.

## How it played out
The early phase of the 2024 season proved difficult for Hamilton and Mercedes. Initial races saw him frequently outside the top six, with finishes like 7th in Bahrain and 9th in Saudi Arabia, Japan, and China. A power unit failure in Australia resulted in his first DNF of the year, underscoring the team's struggles with both performance and reliability. Qualifying often placed him further down the grid than accustomed, with an 18th-place start in China a notable low point.

A turning point began to emerge around the European leg of the calendar. Consistent points finishes in Miami (6th), Emilia Romagna (6th), and Monaco (7th) hinted at gradual improvements. The Canadian Grand Prix saw him climb to 4th, setting the stage for his first podium of the year in Spain, where he finished 3rd. This marked a significant shift, as the Mercedes W15 began to show more consistent pace.

## Defining moments
Hamilton's season was punctuated by two standout victories that demonstrated his enduring capability. The first came at the British Grand Prix, a home win at Silverstone, where he secured 25 points. This was followed by another triumph at the Belgian Grand Prix. These wins, alongside a 3rd place in Hungary, showcased Mercedes' development efforts and Hamilton's ability to seize opportunities when the car provided the platform.

However, the season wasn't without its setbacks. A second DNF occurred at the United States Grand Prix, where he spun off on the opening lap. Despite this, a strong late-season performance saw him secure a 2nd-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, adding 18 points to his tally and proving he could still extract maximum performance when conditions aligned. Such fluctuations in performance were a hallmark of a season where the competitive order remained fluid, a contrast to the more stable performance seen in earlier years of the [Formula One World Championship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One).

## What it meant
By the close of the 2024 season, Lewis Hamilton finished 7th in the Drivers' Championship with 223 points, securing 2 wins and 5 podiums across 24 races. While not the championship challenge many hoped for, particularly in his final year with Mercedes, the season underscored his resilience and adaptability. The two victories were critical, not just for his personal record, but for Mercedes, proving their development trajectory was yielding tangible results. This period of transition, with his impending move to Ferrari, saw Hamilton navigate a complex dynamic, much like other drivers who have faced significant career shifts, such as [Nico Hülkenberg's 2019 season](/seasons/nico-hulkenberg-2019) with Renault. The data for the season, available through sources like [Jolpica/Ergast](https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2026.json), reflects a campaign of recovery and strong individual performances within a challenging team context, setting the stage for a new chapter in 2025.