Lewis Hamilton took responsibility for his performance in the Spanish Grand Prix, describing it as `terrible` after finishing Sunday`s race in sixth place.
Despite matching his best qualifying position of the season by starting fifth, Hamilton soon came under pressure from his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and allowed him past within the opening nine laps.
The British driver then spent a considerable portion of the race running in a solitary fifth position. However, a slow second pit stop proved detrimental, pushing him back in his battle with former Mercedes team-mate George Russell and causing him to drop to sixth.
A late Safety Car period, triggered by Kimi Antonelli`s retirement, offered Hamilton a potential opportunity to gain ground, but he was subsequently overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg`s Sauber.
“Honestly, what can you expect me to say? I just had a genuinely bad day and have nothing else to add. It was tough,” a disheartened Hamilton told reporters after the race.
He continued, “There`s really nothing more to explain. It was awful. No need to go into details. It`s not anyone else`s fault. I simply don`t know what to say.”
When asked if the team would investigate the issues encountered, he responded, “I`m quite sure they won`t find anything – it was probably just me.”
Hamilton had expressed hopes for his first podium finish as a Ferrari driver, but instead felt there were “zero positives” to take away from the Sunday race.
He commented, “I honestly have no idea why it felt so poor. In terms of car balance, that was the worst race experience I`ve ever had.”
Ferrari Explains Late Race Issue
Hamilton`s race pace is typically a strength, but he was notably slower than Leclerc throughout the 66 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This performance leaves him 23 points behind his team-mate in the championship standings.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed that Hamilton`s car suffered an issue during the final stint, just before the late Safety Car intervention, though he did not disclose the specific problem.
Vasseur remarked, “With your experience, you can easily interpret the driver`s initial comments.”
He added, “There`s no reason to create a controversy. He was ahead of Russell for about 70% of the race. I doubt Russell would say his race was a complete disaster.”
Vasseur concluded, “However, we did have a problem on the car in the last stint, right before the Safety Car. The final result isn`t satisfactory, but he spent 45 laps ahead of Russell.”
Rosberg Calls Hamilton`s Performance “Shockingly Bad”
Hamilton has finished ahead of Leclerc in a race only once this season, at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Former team-mate Nico Rosberg admitted it was “difficult to watch” Hamilton struggling.
Rosberg stated, “Sunday was a dreadful day for him because he was simply slow out there, which is very unusual for Lewis.”
He elaborated, “While his qualifying can sometimes be inconsistent, his race performance is typically incredibly strong, and this race was shockingly bad.”
Rosberg speculated on potential causes: “He doesn`t seem to have explanations either. Could there have been damage to the floor? These components are extremely sensitive, and even minor damage can result in significant time loss.”
He concluded, “When you`re left without answers, it`s truly challenging as a driver, especially when you see your team-mate making his way onto the podium in third place. Considering the context of his season so far, this situation appears quite bleak.”
Gilbert Pendleton 
Wesley Dunham