Lewis Hamilton claims F1 Spanish GP is “the worst race I’ve skilled”

Lewis Hamilton has described the Spanish Grand Prix as “the worst race I’ve skilled” after ending sixth within the Components 1 contest at Barcelona.

The seven-time world champion was in an especially downbeat temper, having crossed the road two spots decrease than he began earlier than gaining a place post-race because of Max Verstappen’s 10s penalty.

This was regardless of begin from Hamilton, who took fourth from George Russell at Flip 1 however subsequently struggled for tempo till the tip.

On lap 10 he was instructed by Ferrari to let his sooner team-mate Charles Leclerc overtake, earlier than Hamilton dropped to seventh behind each Mercedes vehicles via the pitstop cycle.

Though Hamilton ultimately regained sixth because of Andrea Kimi Antonelli retiring late on, he dropped to seventh once more after Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg moved by alongside the start-finish straight in the course of the penultimate lap.

Hamilton was due to this fact in no temper to speak afterwards and delivered a really brief interview within the media pen, which went as follows:

Q: “Tough, tough afternoon for you, and then you definately acquired caught on used tyres on the finish. I suppose you had been a little bit of a sitting duck there. A bit irritating, wasn’t it?”

Hamilton: “Everybody was on the identical tyres.”

Q: “The place was the tempo, although? You had been speaking about no rear grip from pretty early on, and that was the entire story, was it?”

Hamilton: “It naturally is.”

Q: “I do not assume you had been capable of hold the hole. Does the automotive really feel higher at any stage of the race, or is it simply the others?”

Hamilton: “I don’t know why you’d say that.”

Q: “Not one single clue. With all of your expertise.”

Hamilton: “It is the worst race I’ve skilled.”

Q: “Any positives you possibly can extract for the weekend. So what is the plan between now and Canada? What are you going to take a look at, work on with the workforce, simulate it?”

Hamilton: “I am occurring it.”

Q: “So the place do you go from right here?”

Hamilton: “House.”

Leclerc, who began in seventh, was in a extra upbeat temper after snatching a podium late on, having overtaken Verstappen on the lap 61 security automotive restart.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures

It means Leclerc has claimed consecutive podium finishes after coming second in Monaco final weekend, however stated his third in Barcelona is extra satisfying because it got here as extra of a shock.

“It’s not like I am over the moon for a second or third place,” stated Leclerc, who’s fifth within the championship and 23 factors forward of sixth-placed Hamilton.

“However it nonetheless feels good as a result of coming to the weekend, I didn’t count on that. In Monaco, the frustration was massive as a result of in FP1, FP2, FP3, we had been very robust. It was not the case right here, so we weren’t robust in FP1, FP2, FP3 or qualifying.

“However I knew I had sacrificed high quality yesterday with a view to be robust within the race at the moment, and it appears to repay with slightly little bit of luck as properly giving us the rostrum. So on that, it is a good shock.

“And I am very pleased about our weekend, however I am not pleased about our total efficiency. And on that, we have to do a step quickly.”

Images from Spanish GP – Race