Lewis Hamilton described his Spanish Grand Prix performance as “terrible” and took personal blame after finishing the race in sixth place.
Following a strong qualifying session on Saturday where he secured fifth, Hamilton was quickly challenged by his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, allowing Leclerc to pass after just nine laps. Hamilton then ran in fifth position for a period before a slow second pit stop hampered his fight against former teammate George Russell and caused him to drop to sixth.
A late Safety Car period, triggered by Kimi Antonelli`s retirement, provided Hamilton with a potential opportunity to recover positions, but he was subsequently overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg`s Sauber.
“Well, what do you want me to say? I`ve had a really bad day and have nothing to say. It was a difficult day.”
– Lewis Hamilton
“There’s nothing else to add to it. It was terrible. There’s no point explaining it. It’s not your fault. I just don’t know what to say.”
– Lewis Hamilton
When questioned about whether the team could identify the issues, a despondent Hamilton responded:
“I’m sure they won’t – it was probably just me.”
– Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton had hoped to achieve his first podium finish as a Ferrari driver at this race but found “zero positives” from Sunday`s performance.
“I have no idea why it was so bad. That was the worst race I’ve experienced balance-wise.”
– Lewis Hamilton
Vasseur Suggests Hamilton Had a Car Issue
Despite Hamilton`s self-criticism, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur indicated that Hamilton encountered a problem with his car during the final stint before the Safety Car intervention. Vasseur did not elaborate on the specific nature of the issue.
“You are experienced enough to draw a conclusion after the first words of the driver… If you want to create a polemic, you can. But it’s not the case.”
– Frederic Vasseur
Vasseur added that despite the poor result, Hamilton had spent a significant portion of the race ahead of George Russell.
“The result is not good, but he did 45 laps in front of Russell.”
– Frederic Vasseur
Rosberg Calls Hamilton`s Race Pace “Shockingly Bad”
Lewis Hamilton has only finished ahead of Charles Leclerc once this season, at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Former teammate Nico Rosberg commented on Hamilton`s struggles, finding them difficult to witness.
“Sunday was a horrible day for him because he was just slow out there, which is very unusual. Yes, sometimes he’s off in qualifying but in races he’s usually really awesome and the race was shockingly bad.”
– Nico Rosberg
Rosberg noted Hamilton`s apparent lack of answers for the performance and speculated about possible car damage, such as the floor, which can significantly impact pace.
“He doesn’t have answers either. Was there damage on the floor? These floors are so sensitive and there can always be a bit there and you lose a lot of time… When you don’t have any answers, it’s really tough as a driver then you see your team-mate race their way to third place on the podium. In light of the whole season he’s had so far, it’s a very dark situation.”
– Nico Rosberg
