Lewis Hamilton 'sulking' as Italian media claim 'something broken' at Ferrari

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been accused of 'sulking' at Ferrari after another difficult weekend for the Scuderia.

Despite having entered the second half of the F1 season second in the standings and within reach of Kimi Antonelli, just four grands prix later, Hamilton's title hopes have been obliterated, with the Brit now trailing the championship leader by 103 points.

It was a tough weekend all-round for Ferrari at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the Scuderia (and the rest of the F1 grid) having been humiliated by Mercedes' pace in qualifying on Friday before disappointing P4 and P6 finishes for Charles Leclerc and Hamilton in the race.

If their on-track struggles were not enough for Ferrari to contend with, the pressure is well and truly on the team's leadership, with Fred Vasseur and his drivers having had to face questions about ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner after he declared himself a candidate to lead the Scuderia in the future.

F1 HEADLINES: Ferrari boss addresses Christian Horner speculation as champion calls for FIA ban

Italian media accuse Lewis Hamilton of 'sulking'

Unfortunately for Ferrari, whenever they fail to perform, the Italian media are right on their backs, and that is no different leaving Baku.

In fact, one report from Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi claimed that Hamilton has been 'sulking' and that something is 'broken' at Ferrari in their headline, before offering a brutal analysis of his and the team's situation.

"In interviews yesterday, he sounded like Raikkonen from the good old days," the Corriere Della Sera report read. "He has zero desire to talk. He has no desire to be anywhere else. Something's off in Hamilton's mood."

Terruzzi's report continued, citing Hamilton's recent results as to why his mood may have turned, but also raising another theory.

"Unless his decline in performance is due to something else," Terruzzi added. "His far from peaceful relationship with Ferrari's trackside staff. On this subject, the Maranello outlets - always open - offer conflicting versions.

"Some speak of a champion who is too much of a burden, him and his entourage ready to intervene on every aspect, from communication to the paint on the walls; of a driver who is dissatisfied with certain figures in the team, despite his probably forced denial of September 17th, following some excessive public criticism."

Terruzzi: Some accuse Hamilton of blaming the engineers for his sub-par performance

Terruzzi is referring to Hamilton coming out to deny he was unhappy with the team earlier this month, but the Italian journalist's tough analysis did not stop there.

"Some justify his evident impatience with a series of attitudes and decisions that were too favourable to Leclerc during a season in which he found himself in an advantageous position over his teammate," Terruzzi added.

"Something that also took the honey out of his relationship with Vasseur, who, in his view, was a bit too close to Charles.

"Not only that: some say he actually made a few too many mistakes on the car of a champion who doesn't tolerate embarrassment; others accuse Hamilton of blaming the engineers even when he was responsible for a subpar performance."

Hamilton rated '5/10' in Baku

The same publication, albeit a different journalist, also gave Hamilton a 5/10 rating for his Azerbaijan Grand Prix display.

"Nothing memorable stands out from his performance," Flavio Vanetti wrote.

"The real danger is that Lewis – after a recent boost in spirits – might start sulking and lose his drive again.

"He complained over the radio about a lack of energy from the power unit's electric component; maybe they should hire a technician for him..."

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton calls for Ferrari investigation after Azerbaijan Grand Prix flop

READ MORE: Lando Norris calls for FIA bans after Azerbaijan GP crash: 'Not driving that deserves to be in F1'

Written by

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson - F1 Editor

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