Lewis Hamilton cryptically hints at quitting F1 season early after Brazilian GP disaster

New audio has emerged from suggesting the star may have already raced for the team for the final time. Hamilton's mood took a turn for the worse after a disastrous weekend at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

The audio clip was only released after the race and was therefore not initially heard by F1 fans watching the official broadcast on Sunday. During his short conversation with his engineers over the team radio, the British icon indicated he may have raced for the final time in Mercedes overalls.

The seven-time world champion reached breaking point after finishing 11th in the F1 Sprint and qualified 16th for the race. He started two places higher after grid drops for Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen were applied.

But any hopes he had of making his way towards the front of the field in the race were plagued by issues with the ride of the W15, with Hamilton complaining of 'bouncing' and comparing their floor to a 'wooden plank'.

He twice ran off the track and lost vital places and seconds in the process when scrapping away with Franco Colapinto and .

The 39-year-old's frustration was evident after the race after battling with Sergio Perez to take 10th position and just one point from Sao Paulo.

And Hamilton's subsequent comments only added more fuel to the fire as he made another cryptic remark about his future.

"That was a disaster of a weekend guys. That is the worst the car has ever been," Hamilton said on the team radio.

"But thank you for continuing to try. Great job from the guys at the pitstop. If this is the last time that I get to perform, its a shame it wasn't great, but grateful for you."

It would be a surprise if Hamilton was denied a proper swansong after a glorious run that saw him win six of his seven Drivers' Championship crowns with the team - including four consecutive titles between 2017 and 2020.

Hamilton's bond with Toto Wolff remains strong on a personal level and the Austrian - while caught off guard by his decision to leave for Ferrari in February - has not demonstrated any ill feelings towards the legendary driver.

Speculation has surfaced in recent weeks that Mercedes could use the final three races of the season to trial in the car ahead of his ascension to the team in 2025.

The 18-year-old will replace Hamilton as George Russell's team-mate as the Silver Arrows enter a new era, having been left without a world champion in their team for the first time in 12 years.

However, Hamilton is expected to compete in the final three races of the season in Qatar, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi as he brings the curtain down on his Mercedes career.