Lewis Hamilton felt both disappointed and determined after a challenging practice day at the Spanish Grand Prix. During the session, his former teammate Nico Rosberg suggested that the seven-time world champion’s age might be catching up to him.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year, finished a lowly 11th in second free practice, describing his car as “not drivable.” Team boss Fred Vasseur later admitted that Hamilton’s radio comments were “a bit extreme” but acknowledged the car’s issues.
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As the 40-year-old Briton wrestled with his unpredictable Ferrari around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Rosberg, who famously beat Hamilton to the world title in 2016, weighed in on SkyF1.
He suggested that age was likely a factor in Hamilton’s struggles this year. “Even if he’s the greatest of all time, at some point you are going to get a little bit slower, and that’s age-related,” Rosberg stated. “And when you are 40, it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”
Despite his struggles, Hamilton maintained a stoical expression. When asked about his difficult day, he simply replied, “Not fun. It’s a beautiful place, the weather has been amasing, but no, not a good day.”
He dismissed the idea that he wasn’t using his experience to motivate the team, adding, “You just keep your head down and keep working away. You just don’t give up. You keep going, you keep pushing.”
Rosberg expressed sympathy for Hamilton’s predicament with the Ferrari. “If we can come to the worst car, it’s the Ferrari,” he commented. “Oh my goodness! Poor Lewis Hamilton. That car is a handful. I mean, the rear is just so loose and snappy, so even on the entry, Lewis had to fully steer out again to avoid binning. So, I really feel for him at the moment.”
Hamilton, who holds a record six wins at the Spanish Grand Prix, also took time on Thursday to quash speculation about a difficult working relationship with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.
“There is a lot of speculation, and most of it is BS,” he told reporters. “We have a great relationship. He is amasing to work with. He is a great guy, working so hard, as we both are. It is all noise, and we are ignoring it.”
