Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton expressed his apologies to his team following a ninth-place finish in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. He admitted that his performance was “not doing a good enough job”.
Hamilton`s challenging start to his Ferrari career continued in Bahrain. He finished significantly behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured third position, while Oscar Piastri of McLaren claimed pole. The gap between Hamilton and Leclerc was six places and six-tenths of a second.
Ferrari introduced an upgraded floor for the Bahrain race, but it appeared to offer minimal improvement for Hamilton. He qualified behind drivers from Alpine and Williams.
After apologizing to his team over the radio, Hamilton told media that his poor performance was solely down to himself. He stated, “It`s just about my performance, poor performance. There`s no reasons, I`m just not doing the job.”
Speaking to media, Hamilton further expressed regret to the team at the factory and the Ferrari fans, the `tifosi`.
While Hamilton achieved a victory in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint, his best result in a full race was seventh place in Japan. His highest starting position was fifth in China.
When asked about his feelings after the Bahrain qualifying, Hamilton acknowledged it was “definitely not a good feeling.”
Regarding potential solutions, Hamilton admitted uncertainty, saying, “I really don’t know. I don’t have a lot of answers for you guys, I just wasn’t quick today.”
Despite the setback, Hamilton remained optimistic about the race, aiming for a top-five finish.
Expert Analysis: Echoes of Last Season
According to F1 analyst Karun Chandhok, Hamilton`s despondent interview was reminiscent of the previous season, where he often struggled compared to his then-teammate George Russell.
Chandhok noted, “I heard his comments today and he sounded completely like he was on the floor… It just felt like last year again. I don`t know what`s happened.”
Chandhok questioned whether Hamilton could recover or if age was affecting his qualifying speed, pointing out the significant gap to Leclerc.
Despite the qualifying result, the focus shifts to the Bahrain Grand Prix race where Hamilton hopes to improve his position.
Marcus Prine