The media in Italy have slammed Lewis Hamilton after a disastrous Brazilian Grand Prix amid uncertainties over his Ferrari future.
On Sunday, Hamilton saw his Brazilian Grand Prix ruined during the opening lap.
The Brit first made contact with Williams star Carlos Sainz before clipping Alpine driver Franco Colapinto.
As a result, Hamilton was left without a front wing and had to tiptoe back to the pits for an early stop.
It was later revealed that the seven-time world champion also suffered floor damage, which ruined the SF-25’s handling and overall pace.
On Lap 39, Hamilton was told to pit and retire the car, putting his nightmare Brazilian weekend to an end.
His teammate, Charles Leclerc, retired on Lap 6 after being tagged by Kimi Antonelli, who was hit by Oscar Piastri’s ill-judged move on the inside at Turn 1.
Lewis Hamilton endured a nightmare Brazilian Grand Prix. Image: Getty
On the back of another dismal weekend, Hamilton’s dismal first year as a Ferrari driver continued.
Over the last few months, Hamilton has faced calls to retire, and it was also claimed that Ferrari are set to opt against handing the 40-year-old a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of next season.
Lewis Hamilton slammed after dismal Brazilian Grand Prix
Reacting to Hamilton’s latest race weekend with the Scuderia, Italian media outlets pull no punches.
According to Corriere della Sera, Hamilton only warranted a score of four out of 10.
They stated that Hamilton’s mistake of hitting Colapinto was ‘indefensible’ and his first season with the team has left ‘a lot of doubts’.
In addition, the publication also suggested that Hamilton ‘complains all the time’ and it has become ‘difficult to avoid complaining about him’, labelling the 40-year-old as ‘a champion who can’t behave like a champion’.
Lewis Hamilton has struggled since joining Ferrari. Image: Getty
Meanwhile, Auto Racer claimed that Hamilton ‘complicated his life’ during Saturday’s qualifying session, after his ‘nightmare first lap’ resulted in an early exit.
What has Lewis Hamilton said about his Ferrari future?
Speaking after the race, Hamilton stated that he is not going to give up amid his current struggles.
He said: “Charles did a great job in qualifying yesterday so there is some performance in our car, and I agree — at this point I just have to believe that something will come out of all these hardships we’re going through.
“I’m sure we’re destined for something positive in the future, but maybe we’re getting all our bad luck out of the way this year. We won’t give up.”
When asked about his future before the race, Hamilton claimed: “I mean, I have a pretty long contract. So normally, when you do a contract, it’s usually the year before [expiry] that you start to talk about it. So I’m a little bit far from that right now.”
