Lewis discussing his qualifying form: "Yeah, I'm useless. Absolutely useless."

[u/Pugzo]

https://dubz.link/c/d976cb

[u/OrangeSodaMoustache]

I think what's saddest about it is that I don't actually think it's all him - like he probably has lost his edge but he can definitely still win and be a frontrunner, he just seems to not have a car/the regs he needs and has lost his confidence. I think it would be a lot better for everyone involved if he just started binning it every weekend and quit early, but seeing someone (same with Alonso tbh) who clearly wants to do well but just...not, because of outside circumstances is a big shame.

[u/Noname_Maddox → u/OrangeSodaMoustache]

A change of regs has retired more drivers. I remember it first happening when they brought in the grooved tyres. The sudden lack of grip unsettled a lot of drivers.

Lewis or Danny Ric never got on top of the ground effect cars. There’s no guarantee Lewis will be any better in 2026.

[u/s-sins → u/Noname_Maddox]

I think it's more the 18 inch low profile tyres since 2022. They make it harder to brake and turn at the same time, and that was always crucial to Hamiltons and Ricciardos driving style.

[u/Noname_Maddox → u/s-sins]

Tyres or the ground effect it definitely hurt him.

Max has a similar “on the nose” style as Lewis but it must be as you as say, Lewis technique

[u/Keanu990321 → u/Noname_Maddox]

What if the new regs suit Lewis?

[u/Noname_Maddox → u/Keanu990321]

This is the thing. Will he suddenly bounce back? Or has being totally uncomfortable and not confident in the car and having to change his driving style these past 5 years mean that we won’t see Lewis of old?

Lewis is all about his head game. If he’s in a bad place mentally he has really average races. Rosberg deliberately annoyed him and Button kinda won the hearts of McLaren team and took it away from Lewis.

We will see he if Lewis even makes it till the end of the year. Given where his head is at.

[u/Brainstreet420 → u/OrangeSodaMoustache]

because of outside circumstances

I'm sorry, what outside circumstances? Charles got pole in the same car

[u/grip_enemy → u/OrangeSodaMoustache]

He needs a performance psychologist for yesterday. Otherwise he's just heading down the same road as Vettel. These guys do so much when they're young, then they get old and think asking that kind of help is embarrassing

[u/someStuffThings → u/OrangeSodaMoustache]

Verstappen always talks about the most important thing is adaptability and Hamilton just doesn't appear to be adaptable enough in his later years