Lewis Hamilton Slams Spanish GP as His Worst Race Amid Ferrari Struggles and Setup Points
Lewis Hamilton labeled the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix as probably the most dismal race of his System 1 profession, providing a scathing evaluation of a weekend that went from promising to disastrous. The seven-time world champion started the occasion with optimism after managing to outqualify Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc—one thing he had solely achieved as soon as earlier than this season, discounting Dash races. Nevertheless, the Monegasque had strategically saved a contemporary set of tyres, which might show advantageous on Sunday.
From the early phases of the race, tensions started to rise. Charles Leclerc voiced issues about Hamilton’s tempo over staff radio, prompting Ferrari to instruct Lewis Hamilton to maneuver apart. Whereas Leclerc surged forward, Hamilton discovered himself embroiled in a battle not together with his teammate however together with his former Mercedes colleague George Russell. Though the British driver initially gained the higher hand at Flip 1, he in the end dropped behind because the race unfolded.
Because the race wore on, former world champion Nico Rosberg noticed that Hamilton gave the impression to be grappling with points extra extreme than these affecting another driver that weekend. Sadly, this remark provided little comfort for Hamilton, who as soon as once more discovered himself struggling to extract tempo from his Ferrari SF-25.
Ferrari staff principal Fred Vasseur didn’t supply a lot encouragement after the race both. He admitted that each drivers had skilled issues throughout the closing stint however was fast to disclaim that they’d confronted an identical points. He clarified to the Italian media that the difficulties the seven-time F1 world champion encountered weren’t associated to grease, countering any hypothesis that each vehicles had suffered from a shared mechanical flaw.
Fred Vasseur said that whereas Charles Leclerc additionally had issues, they have been unrelated to Hamilton’s struggles. In a subsequent interview, he elaborated that Hamilton had proven robust efficiency earlier within the race, however started affected by steadiness points within the closing stint. Nevertheless, he refused to reveal the precise nature of the issue, solely confirming that one thing had gone flawed with Hamilton’s automobile.
This lack of readability is more likely to concern Hamilton. The truth that his points weren’t the identical as Charles Leclerc’s, and as an alternative appeared to stem from the automobile’s setup or steadiness, may point out that the SF-25 is as soon as once more proving incompatible together with his driving model. Not like Charles Leclerc, who continues to extract robust outcomes, Hamilton has discovered himself repeatedly falling brief.
The efficiency hole has now turn into a troubling pattern. Simply weeks prior in Monaco, Hamilton completed practically a full minute behind his Ferrari teammate—a regarding statistic that means deeper compatibility or setup points.
Lewis Hamilton’s frustrations reached a boiling level in Spain when Nico Hulkenberg, driving the underpowered Sauber, simply handed him following a late security automobile restart. Regardless of Nico Hulkenberg being on brisker delicate tyres, the sight of being overtaken by a automobile extensively considered the slowest on the grid was a bitter tablet to swallow.
Publish-race, the Briton didn’t maintain again when requested to replicate on his underwhelming efficiency. He admitted he had no clarification, saying he had “no concept” what had gone flawed and emphasizing that it had been a “actually dangerous day.” He acknowledged that Ferrari had executed a strong technique and that the staff had carried out nicely, however emphasised that his personal race was a catastrophe.
Hamilton appeared emotionally drained as he dismissed the necessity to even attempt explaining what had occurred, and ominously steered that the staff in all probability wouldn’t discover a resolution—implying that the problem may merely lie with him.
Nico Rosberg speculated that Ferrari might have positioned Lewis Hamilton in a “horrible” state of affairs throughout the race, although the Ferrari staff boss will doubtless be extra involved concerning the ever-widening hole between his two drivers. Hamilton had entered the Spanish Grand Prix with hopes of lastly standing on the rostrum as a Ferrari driver. As an alternative, he was pressured to look at Charles Leclerc deliver residence one more trophy, whereas he was left grappling with extra unanswered questions.
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