Hamilton declares Imola a “weekend to forget”

Lewis Hamilton declared the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix a “weekend to forget” after finishing 13th and a lap behind the driver who stole his F1 crown last year in Max Verstappen.

Mercedes suffered in the damp, cool conditions at Imola, and while George Russell managed to climb from 11th to fourth, Hamilton started 14th before finding himself stuck in the lower midfield and unable to find a way out.

Asked if pitting earlier could have helped, a dejected Hamilton pondered: “I really don’t know to be honest. I don’t think it would have made much of a difference. A weekend to forget, that’s for sure.”

The former world champion is now seventh in the championship, 58 points behind leader Charles Leclerc, leading to team boss Toto Wolff personally apologising to him on the team radio after the race for Mercedes' latest poor performance.

Hamilton added: “I am out of the championship, for sure, there’s no question about that, but I will still keep working as hard as I can and try and somehow put it back together.”

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