Nico Rosberg stated he found it `difficult to watch` Lewis Hamilton`s visibly dejected state following his former teammate`s disappointing performance at the Spanish Grand Prix.
After Sunday`s race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he finished sixth, Hamilton confessed in his post-race interview that he didn`t `know what to say,` reflecting on what he termed a `terrible` afternoon.
Having aimed for his first podium with Ferrari after achieving a season-best qualifying position of fifth, Hamilton initially passed his former Mercedes teammate George Russell at the start. However, he soon encountered difficulties due to a lack of grip from his car.
During the race, Ferrari requested he let teammate Charles Leclerc pass during the first stint. He was later undercut by Russell during the second pit stop phase and overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber after a late Safety Car bunched up the field.
Reacting to Hamilton`s post-race interview, Rosberg commented, “It`s hard to watch.”
He continued, “Sunday was a terrible day for him because his pace was simply slow, which is quite unusual.”
“While he has occasionally been slightly off pace in qualifying, his race performance is typically excellent. This race, however, was shockingly poor.”
“He doesn`t have explanations either. Was there damage to the floor? These floors are incredibly sensitive, and even minor damage can cause significant time loss. He seemed unsure of what was happening.”
“It`s truly difficult for a driver when you lack answers, especially when your teammate secures a podium finish. Considering his performance throughout the season, the current situation appears quite grim.”
Although Hamilton speculated his struggles in Spain were `probably just me,` Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur later disclosed that `we had an issue on the car during the last stint, before the Safety Car.` Vasseur did not provide further details about the problem with the SF-25, only stating that they would `look into it.`
At the conclusion of the race, Hamilton communicated to his engineer, Riccardo Adami, over team radio: `There`s something wrong with this car, mate. It`s the worst it`s ever been.`
Rosberg`s assessment of Hamilton`s Ferrari start: `Something is missing`
As Ferrari`s aspirations for challenging for both world championships fade this season amidst their 17-year title drought, Hamilton currently sits sixth in the Drivers` Championship after nine races. He is 23 points behind his teammate Leclerc, who is in fifth place and secured his second consecutive podium in Spain.
Qualifying in Spain marked only the second time in nine attempts this season that Hamilton has outqualified Leclerc for a Grand Prix. Furthermore, he has only finished ahead of the Monegasque driver once in a complete race.
Rosberg, who was both a childhood friend and a fierce title rival of Hamilton`s during their time as Mercedes teammates, commented, “It`s been a challenging start so far, reflecting a continuation of the form he showed last year. That was the first season in his career where he experienced a significant dip in performance.”
“George Russell finished ahead of him last year, and this season Leclerc has consistently been slightly ahead of Lewis, who is clearly still struggling to find his rhythm.”
“Something is missing. He hasn`t fully connected with the car yet and seems a bit on the defensive, but the car itself is also clearly challenging to drive.”
“Lewis`s strength at this stage of his career is his race pace, demonstrated impressively at Imola where he climbed from 12th to fourth with incredible speed. It was remarkable to witness.”
“However, he is approaching 40, and at some point, factors like the brain`s processing speed and reaction time in qualifying become relevant.”
“Inevitably, drivers become slightly slower over time, and this physical aspect will affect Lewis sooner rather than later.”
