Lewis Hamilton attributed his `terrible` performance at Sunday`s Spanish Grand Prix, where he finished sixth, to himself.
Hamilton had a strong qualifying, matching his season`s best with a fifth-place start on Saturday. However, he soon faced pressure from Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and allowed him past within the first nine laps.
The Ferrari driver then held fifth position relatively unchallenged until a slow second pit stop compromised his race, costing him time in his battle with former Mercedes teammate George Russell and causing him to drop to sixth.
A late Safety Car period, triggered by Kimi Antonelli`s retirement, offered Hamilton a chance to recover some positions, but he was subsequently overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg in the Sauber.
“What do you want me to say? I`ve had a really bad day and have nothing to say. It was a difficult day,” commented a despondent Hamilton afterwards.
He continued, “There`s nothing else to add. It was terrible. There`s no point explaining it. It`s not your fault. I just don`t know what to say.”
When asked if the team could find explanations for the struggles, he added:
“I`m sure they won`t – it was probably just me.”
Hamilton had been aiming for his first podium finish since joining Ferrari, but stated there were “zero positives” to take away from Sunday`s race.
He elaborated, “I have no idea why it was so bad. That was the worst race I`ve experienced in terms of balance.”
Vasseur Discloses Hamilton Faced `An Issue` During Final Stint
Typically known for his strong race pace, Hamilton was clearly slower than Leclerc over the 66 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and now trails his Ferrari teammate by 23 points in the championship standings.
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed that Hamilton`s car experienced an unspecified problem before the late Safety Car period.
Vasseur remarked, “You are experienced enough to draw a conclusion after the first words of the driver.”
He added, “If you want to create a polemic, you can. But that`s not the situation. I believe he spent 70 percent of the race ahead of Russell. I`m not sure Russell would describe his race as a disaster.”
“But then we had an issue with the car in the final stint, before the Safety Car. The result isn`t good, but he was ahead of Russell for 45 laps.”
Rosberg Describes Hamilton`s Race as `Shockingly Bad`
In races this season, Hamilton has only finished ahead of Leclerc once, at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Nico Rosberg, his former teammate, commented that watching Hamilton struggle was “hard to watch”.
“Sunday was a horrible day for him because he was simply slow out there, which is highly unusual,” Rosberg stated.
“Yes, sometimes he underperforms in qualifying, but in races he`s usually fantastic, and this race was shockingly bad.”
“He doesn`t have answers either. Was there damage to the floor? These floors are incredibly sensitive, and even minor damage can cause a significant loss of time.”
“When you lack answers, it`s really tough as a driver, especially when you see your teammate achieving a podium finish. Considering his season so far, it`s a very bleak situation.”
Marcus Prine