Hamilton hit with retirement jibe

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has joked that seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton should have retired from F1 last year in light of his embarrassment at being lapped by Max Verstappen at Imola.

Hamilton and Verstappen were involved in one of the greatest title fights in F1 history last season.

Their fierce rivalry resulted in numerous flashpoints on and off the track, culminating in the controversy that stretched beyond the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi after Verstappen had clinched his maiden title.

Although Red Bull and Verstappen are again in the championship picture this year, it is a different story at Mercedes as the team is struggling in the midfield.

On Saturday at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, it failed to get a car into Q3 for the first time in a decade.

Salt was then rubbed into the wounds on Sunday for Hamilton when he was shown blue flags and was ignominiously lapped by Verstappen.

Asked by Sky Sports F1 as to what he felt would be going through Hamilton's mind at present, Marko replied: "He was lapped by us.

"Maybe he should have stopped last year he is thinking, Maybe."

As Verstappen cruised to victory, Hamilton finished 13th to extend his run without a podium finish to three, the first time since 2013 he has failed he has endured such a streak without collecting silverware.

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