Lewis Hamilton Slams Spanish GP as His Worst Race Amid Ferrari Struggles and Setup Points
Lewis Hamilton labeled the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix as essentially the most dismal race of his Method 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 recent set of tyres, which might show advantageous on Sunday.
From the early levels of the race, tensions started to rise. Charles Leclerc voiced considerations about Hamilton’s tempo over group 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 finally dropped behind because the race unfolded.
Because the race wore on, former world champion Nico Rosberg noticed that Hamilton seemed to be grappling with points extra extreme than these affecting some other driver that weekend. Sadly, this commentary supplied little comfort for Hamilton, who as soon as once more discovered himself struggling to extract tempo from his Ferrari SF-25.
Ferrari group principal Fred Vasseur didn’t supply a lot encouragement after the race both. He admitted that each drivers had skilled issues throughout the last stint however was fast to disclaim that that they had confronted similar 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 last stint. Nevertheless, he refused to reveal the precise nature of the issue, solely confirming that one thing had gone fallacious with Hamilton’s automotive.
This lack of readability is prone to concern Hamilton. The truth that his points weren’t the identical as Charles Leclerc’s, and as a substitute appeared to stem from the automotive’s setup or steadiness, may point out that the SF-25 is as soon as once more proving incompatible together with his driving fashion. In contrast to Charles Leclerc, who continues to extract robust outcomes, Hamilton has discovered himself repeatedly falling quick.
The efficiency hole has now develop into a troubling pattern. Simply weeks prior in Monaco, Hamilton completed practically a full minute behind his Ferrari teammate—a regarding statistic that implies 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 automotive restart. Regardless of Nico Hulkenberg being on more energizing mushy tyres, the sight of being overtaken by a automotive extensively thought to be the slowest on the grid was a bitter tablet to swallow.
Publish-race, the Briton didn’t maintain again when requested to mirror on his underwhelming efficiency. He admitted he had no rationalization, saying he had “no thought” what had gone fallacious and emphasizing that it had been a “actually unhealthy day.” He acknowledged that Ferrari had executed a strong technique and that the group had carried out effectively, however emphasised that his personal race was a catastrophe.
Hamilton appeared emotionally drained as he dismissed the necessity to even strive explaining what had occurred, and ominously urged that the group most likely wouldn’t discover a answer—implying that the problem may merely lie with him.
Nico Rosberg speculated that Ferrari might have positioned Lewis Hamilton in a “horrible” scenario throughout the race, although the Ferrari group boss will possible be extra involved in regards to 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 a substitute, he was pressured to observe Charles Leclerc deliver residence yet one more trophy, whereas he was left grappling with extra unanswered questions.