A demoralised Lewis Hamilton described his latest Ferrari horror show at Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix as one of the worst races he has ever experienced.
Hamilton was ordered by Ferrari to move aside for team-mate Charles Leclerc on lap 10 and was then passed by Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg in the closing laps.
Hamilton finished seventh but moved up one place to sixth in the final classification following Max Verstappen’s post-race penalty.
Leclerc took the chequered flag in third to land his third podium of the season, but Hamilton is yet to take a top-three finish in nine Ferrari starts.
He is 23 points behind Leclerc, and 115 adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri.
“I have no idea why it was so bad,” said 40-year-old Hamilton.
“That was the worst race I have experienced, balance-wise.”
Quizzed as to whether he could take any positives from Sunday’s performance, the seven-time world champion replied: “Zero.”
And then asked where he goes from here, Hamilton answered: “Home.”
Hamilton had been able to take confidence from out-qualifying Leclerc for just the second time this campaign, and appeared in good spirits prior to Sunday’s race when he embraced England captain Harry Kane and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka in the moments before the lights went out.
He then moved ahead of former Mercedes team-mate George Russell at the opening bend to take fourth.
But Hamilton’s afternoon soon unravelled when he failed to match Leclerc’s speed, and he was told by race engineer Riccardo Adami to “trade places” with his team-mate.
It is the second time this season that Hamilton has been ordered out of Leclerc’s way in a race.
Hamilton won the sprint round in China in March, but his record in the main events so far for Ferrari reads 10th, disqualified, seventh, fifth, seventh, eighth, fourth, fifth and sixth.
Hamilton added: “The team did a great job and that is all I can say. I didn’t have any speed at the end.”
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