Lewis Hamilton calls Ferrari season a “nightmare” after double DNF in Brazil, but vows to keep fighting for the team’s future success
SAO PAULO: Lewis Hamilton maintained his optimism despite describing his Ferrari debut season as a “nightmare” following another disastrous weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc retired from Sunday’s race at Interlagos, where Hamilton holds honorary citizenship.
The seven-time world champion was withdrawn after 40 laps following multiple incidents and a penalty, while Leclerc retired on lap six after an unavoidable collision.
“It’s a nightmare,” Hamilton admitted. “I’ve been living it now for a while and the flip between living the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results that we’ve had.”
Hamilton has now gone 21 races without a podium finish, setting an unwanted record among Ferrari drivers.
The British driver suffered more misfortune at the start when he was hit at Turn One and received a five-second penalty for colliding with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
“I don’t really know what happened at Turn One, but obviously it’s not great to be hit and after that the car was just gone,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, Hamilton remains committed to Ferrari’s long-term success.
“The ups and downs. It’s challenging, but tomorrow I’ll get back up,” he stated. “I’ll keep training and I’ll keep working with the team.”
Hamilton expressed belief in the team’s potential despite current difficulties.
“Truly, I still believe in this team and what we can achieve,” he affirmed. “I just have to keep pushing and never give up.”
The Mercedes convert acknowledged the disappointment affecting everyone at Ferrari but emphasized maintaining positivity.
“It’s obviously a disaster, a stress and a disappointment for everyone in the team, but I’m trying to keep my head above water,” Hamilton said.
He pointed to Leclerc’s strong qualifying performance as evidence of the car’s underlying potential.
“Charles did a great job in qualifying yesterday so there is some performance in our car,” Hamilton noted. “I agree that at this point I just have to believe that something will come out of all these hardships we’re going through.” – AFP
