Scathing Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari verdict issued by Italian media

A media outlet in Italy has delivered a scathing verdict on Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari following last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion finished P6 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last weekend, even overtaken late on by Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber, which was no doubt a sobering moment.

In the aftermath of Sunday's race, Italian publications such as Corriere della Sera have delivered a concerning assessment of Hamilton’s performances and his attitude, claiming the union between the champion and Ferrari is in ‘full crisis’.

"Lewis Hamilton is an opaque star," they wrote. "The enthusiasm that transported him to Maranello in a joyous and universal jubilation is a memory that disturbs and hurts.

"He is unable to keep up with Leclerc's pace; he seems suspended between the search for the magic dust that is useful to the star and the suspicion that he is surrounded by a team that does not understand or support him.

"There are far too many admirers turned into merciless accusers and, after only nine races, we are witnessing a love affair, if not compromised, in full crisis."

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Can Lewis Hamilton turn things around at Ferrari?

Hamilton’s downcast dialogue has not been an unusual feature in the media pen this year, with only a sprint race win and fourth place finish in Imola enough to lift his spirits in post-race interviews.

Whilst Ferrari's pace has often not been worthy of a podium finish, Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc has recently clicked with the SF-25 in Monaco and Barcelona, where he finished second and third respectively.

On top of his inability to fight for podiums, losing out to his younger team-mate must be a massive blow to Hamilton's confidence, who has had to endure comments about his age impacting his performance since the 2024 season.

Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate and F1 champion, Nico Rosberg, has also argued that the 40-year-old's age has started to impact his performances.

“Even the greatest of all time, at some point, you are going to get a little bit slower. That's age-related," he said to Sky F1.

“When you're 40, it's going to happen sooner rather than later. So the question is whether that age has come where you start to get a little bit slower.

“Even a tenth or something makes a huge difference in this sport, especially when you're up against some of the greatest from the new generation, which is Charles Leclerc, who's considered one of the absolute best qualifiers out there.”

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