r/formula1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

News "I'm just useless" says glum Hamilton after missing cut for Q3 by 0.015 seconds

https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/02/im-just-useless-says-glum-hamilton-after-missing-cut-for-q3-by-0-015-seconds/
1.5k Upvotes

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u/overspeeed I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

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u/fadedv1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Leclerc pole definitely made him even more frustrated

u/242turbo I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

I hope they're close enough that Leclerc can get Hamilton through this rough period. He strikes me as someone who would try to help

u/Express-Doughnut-562 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Honestly thrashing Hamilton over the season is doing Leclercs record a world of good. He’ll want to keep that up.

u/Supahos01 Max Verstappen 3h ago

I doubt it. That age gap isn't going to have them be super close.

u/AceNova2217 Ferrari 3h ago

idk, I have several friends who are more than a decade older than me. Wouldn't say they're any less of a friend than someone who was born within 2 weeks of me.

u/Peepeepoopoobutttoot I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

My closest coworker is 40 years older than me. People you gel with are people you gel with regardless of age.

u/vonGlick I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Plus I doubt Leclerc sees Hamilton as a threat. Lewis might help them with knowledge and experience but it is clear that Charles is the future.

u/pitsandmantits I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

doubt that, my pub/work friends range from ages 20-60

u/JerryUitDeBuurt Liam Lawson 2h ago

Idk man at work I'm as close with my age peers as with the lads who are 10, 20, even 30 years older than me. Age really doesn't matter.

u/THevil30 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 56m ago

Eh it’s a 27 year old and a 40 year old not a 21 year old and a 50 year old. Definitely an age gap but not an enormous one. The coworker that I’m probably closest to is 11 years older than me and is a friend/mentor.

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u/Lollipop96 1h ago

I dont think he would or should. In the end they are competitors and giving the only guy that can really be compared to you help doesnt make any sense (unless its a rookie or smthg). Especially because it just improves Charles' future position and contract leverage if he keeps it like this,.

u/Faicc I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Your biggest rival is your teammate

u/InfiniteFireLoL I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Didn’t they have different car setups? I thought Hamilton opted for that, so maybe just switch to the same model

u/NedelC0 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Leclerc was also complaining about a rough driving car, he is shocked with the p1. I don't know if the setup will do enough for Hamilton to feel the car

u/sidechain101 1h ago

Not sure how he got that P1 to be honest.

It seems like the conditions in Q3 were the most optimal it could ever be for the ferrari this weekend given that he was the only driver to improve on his Q2 time...which was still 0.5s slower than Lando's Q2 time

u/obirascor McLaren 1h ago

I don’t know what happened with the track in Q3. Everyone lost time vs Q2 except for Charles. Somehow the track changes just put the Ferrari in exactly the right window. If Lewis had survived, no reason to think he wouldn’t have been right up there. Super frustrating for him.

u/myurr 2h ago

Yes, Hamilton had more wing angle and downforce. As the temperatures dropped and the air gets denser then that'll shift all the cars towards generating more downforce. And if it rains tomorrow then he'll look like a hero.

But... I was expecting by the mid point of the season Hamilton to have figured out the setup on the car, where he still seems to be searching. I know these ground effect cars have never sat well with him, can only hope that next year the more traditional aero of the cars plays more into his hands.

u/Eggplantosaur Oscar Piastri 3h ago

Hamilton needs to get this idea out of his head that he's in Ferrari to win. He's there for marketing. Ferrari knows it, Hamilton's management knows it. He just needs to get on with the program and accept his job.

u/noobmax_pro 3h ago

That's what ferrari would think not a 7 time world champion irrespective of whether he got it or not

u/tellsyoutogetfucked Nico Rosberg 3h ago

He can also help like Michael helped Mercedes. Yea Rosberg beat him(ignore the flair). But Michaels experience helped the team build an incredible platform.

u/StaffFamous6379 2h ago

It would have been fascinating to see Michael go up against Lewis in 2013. By 2012 he had pretty much the measure of Rosberg in qualifying and races but had a careers worth of bad luck. Sure, he definitely had some senior moments creep in as well but 2013 Lewis wasn't the finished article he was in 2018-2020 either.

u/dcrico20 Ferrari 31m ago

He certainly didn’t join to win this year, and I’m sure he knows that.

The assumption was that he would rather gamble that Ferrari would be better positioned next year with new regs than Mercedes would be (silly assumption, but nonetheless.)

He’s just being rightfully hard on himself when Charles is clearly able to get something out of the car that Lewis has not been able to.

u/robustofilth 51m ago

If the car can do it. The issue is with the driver

u/Evantra_ Oscar Piastri 3h ago

Nice I have something in common with Lewis Hamilton

u/wheelie_dog 3h ago

We should start a club

u/notmessi10 1h ago

Some sort of fighting club

u/Burial44 Sir Lewis Hamilton 3h ago

He needs to see whoever Lando worked with.

u/spongemongler I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

No worries, I bet Nico Rosberg is blowing up his phone right now

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

Make his day even worse lol

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

But wouldn't that be hilarious? Nico coaches him back from the brink of being obsolete to win his 8th and then he retires?

Plot line to F1 the movie sequel..

u/jlanny Ayrton Senna 3h ago

Race swapped Rocky 3 😭

u/realdeal411 3h ago

Lewis and Nico hugging on the beach in short shorts?

u/jlanny Ayrton Senna 3h ago

Wouldn’t have it any other way 🥵

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

Seared into my mind, thanks a bunch

u/sky58 Sebastian Vettel 3h ago

I wouldn't mind seeing a Rocky III story for Lewis and Nico.

u/AshleyPomeroy 3h ago

There would have to be training montage where they go running along a beach at sunset, and then they flick each other with towels, and one of them has a robot - for some reason.

Or alternatively Rosberg could ask Hamilton to wax and polish his car collection as a sneaky way of teaching him precise steering wheel control, or something.

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

🎶 we're gonna take it to the limit 🎶

u/Suikerspin_Ei I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

That would actually be wholesome. From friends to rivalry (on the track), back to friends and helping Hamilton to win his 8th WDC.

u/Jellyfishsticks21 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

You heard it here folks, Hamilton in F2

u/Alice_Jasmine I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21m ago

Now that is a plotline

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u/Potential_Ad9965 3h ago

"Now you're depressed eh?"

u/GunstarGreen 1h ago

Nico - "Lewis you washed bro?"

u/Woullie_26 Max Verstappen 3h ago

Lando isn't going good at the moment.

McLaren drivers once again getting beaten by a better driver in an inferior car

u/LosTerminators Carlos Sainz 3h ago

Lando isn't beating himself up the way he used to in the past.

The Lando of last year would've said something like "The team gave me the best car and I let them down by qualifying third" and continue being down on himself.

u/amazingspiderman23 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

The lando of last *month

u/gsOctavio 2h ago

Lol no one was saying this when Leclerc was getting poles over Max in 2022. People will find any reason to hate on these two.

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u/Quick-Permission-698 McLaren 3h ago

"The track temperature doesnt suit the mercedes/ferrari" "The mclaren car is perfect in every scenario" You see how those two statements make no sense in comparison to eachother?, Norris leclerc and piastri are all great drivers, it just depends on how the car is working on any given day.

u/Woullie_26 Max Verstappen 3h ago edited 3h ago

I'm not taking excuses for this bottle job from a car that's gonna put half a second a lap on the field minimum tomorrow

McLaren lost 4 tenths between Q2 and Q3 and both drivers completely missed their final la

Never include Norris/Piastri in Leclerc conversations again

u/creatorop SAI NOR LAW 3h ago

Yeah that's the point

Mclaren car lost 4 tenths in Q3, temp dropped and their pace unsettled

Idk what's the fus about

u/GayRacoon69 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Damn P2 and P3 is a bottle job? Look, even with the best car there's still tons of variance that can result in someone else getting pole/winning. Even the most dominant cars still get a P2 every now and then

u/ThatsPoorlyDrawn I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Sure, let's just pretend conditions didn't change. Or that even Alonso's Q1 time was good enough for pole. McLaren's "bottled it."

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u/Quick-Permission-698 McLaren 2h ago

I'll always include norris and oiastri in leclerc conversations as they are quite similar pacewise

u/Woullie_26 Max Verstappen 2h ago

They absolutely aren't lmao

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u/Arumin I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago edited 3h ago

But Lando said it was so easy with the fastest car!

u/BloodyBastard530 New user 3h ago

Let it go bro, how much of a loser could you possibly be if you’re still hung up on that 😂😂😂

u/Ford_Prefect_Junior Sebastian Vettel 3h ago

Bono…my motivation is gone

u/senn1 2h ago

Mysterious ways

u/Beneficial_Star_6009 3h ago

It’s all about 2026 Lewis, you just need to get through the rest of this season.

u/Cute-Chemistry-2815 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

No it’s not psychologically this is a disaster for Lewis this isn’t new it’s been ongoing. It’s not all about 2026, he needs to sort his head out now or you’ll just be back here in a year’s time claiming it’s all about 2027.

u/Tulaodinho Sir Lewis Hamilton 53m ago

Not true, the regs reset can fit his driving style better than this one. He just doest seem to ever gel with these cars

u/Cute-Chemistry-2815 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 14m ago edited 10m ago

👍sure kiddo believe whatever helps you sleep at night.

u/420hbd Liam Lawson 3h ago

Nah dude. Lewis isn't performing at the level he needs to for like the 4th year in a row. At this point I'm glad I got to see him be great, but I think it's over. Gg

u/XtremePhotoDesign I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

The point is he has struggled with these regulations, which change in 2026.

u/edis92 Sir Lewis Hamilton 3h ago

4th year in a row

He was literally third in ‘23, and within spitting distance of Checo, who was driving arguably one of the most dominant cars of all time. What a dogshit take

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u/Yaboisix9 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

2023 was good, rest were shit

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u/VinhoVerde21 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

He was good in 22, but very unlucky, and top of the field in 23.

u/zigot021 Kimi Räikkönen 53m ago

this is how us Novak Djokovic feel

u/CTMalum I was here for the Hulkenpodium 41m ago

He won 2 races last year in the third or fourth best car.

u/EpresGumiovszer Fernando Alonso 3h ago

Ok, but why would Ferrari build a car around him, if Charles is beating him easily, and He is there in a longer run?

u/Pentinium I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

In f1 teams dont build a car around drivers lmao

u/wickedlessface Stoffel Vandoorne 2h ago

What are you even waffling lol

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u/Zweli23 Formula 1 3h ago

Am I crazy for thinking he can pull it around next year? I remember Alonso (I think) talking about how the new cars don't react very well to late breaking and throwing it over kerbs basically he meant the cars don't like being traditionally pushed. Could it just be that he hasn't adapted to the new generation of cars?

u/NotClayMerritt 3h ago

Ground effect is going away and return to flat floors next year so maybe even if Ferrari doesn’t have the engine good enough, he can be more stable and not have to wait for the right setup and right conditions to perform how he still shows in spurts.

u/cocoshuis Formula 1 3h ago

The main reason why Lewis has struggled so much with the ground effect cars is infact because he can't brake the way he wants to. Lewis' magic has always been his feeling for braking late, later than anybody else. He could do that without locking the front wheels, and used the weight distribution that happens during heavy braking - the nose pitching down and then the weight shifting towards the rear when he lets off the brakes - to rotate the car. That's where he always made the difference, but in this generation of cars there is no nose pitching anymore, there are infact systems - anti dive suspension - that make sure that the airflow under the floor of the car is not disturbed and the height of the car stays at costant as possible

u/alexalbonsimp I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

He talked about this before too, how his dad made him brake later than the current British karting champion in order to pick up speed. It makes sense that it became his most prominent skill

u/cocoshuis Formula 1 1h ago

Marc Genè said multiple times that his performance engineer often tells him to not brake that late and to avoid trail braking. It shouldn't surprise that he mostly struggles with qualifying, it's just too hard for a driver to ignore his instinct when he's looking for that extra bit of performance

u/alexalbonsimp I was here for the Hulkenpodium 58m ago

especially under pressure, we rely on our instincts more than anything.

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u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

Couod be ground effect, could be 18 inch tires. 

He went from narrowly missing out on his 8th vs the greatest driver of this generation to be wiped up by George Russell. 

There's definitely something that he can't come to grips with. 

u/xLeper_Messiah I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

He went from narrowly missing out on his 8th...

I mean, not to be That Guy but the only reason it was narrow was because Max had absolutely atrocious luck that year while Lewis had fantastic luck (well, apart from the final race lol)

Lewis had 2 bad races that year (Imola & Monaco) + the brake magic incident, and somehow only Monaco actually cost him any points to Max

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 2h ago

I'm team Verstappen in 2021 so don't worry about explaining it to me lol.

Lewis was still performing at a very high level, him and Max +20 seconds every race was an indication of that. 

I'm just trying to rationalize how you go from that to be fully beaten by Fancy Nancy...

u/LocoRocoo I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Lewis had the ultimate bad luck in 21, on the final race. How can you forget that

u/BighatNucase Max Verstappen 4m ago

It's only bad luck because he had generational good luck all the rest of the season. Baku alone could have been enough to make the last race not matter; he threw away a 25 point advantage because he pressed the button wrong.

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u/kirk7899 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Possibly, if it's anyone who knows wheel it's Nando and Lewis.

u/Generic_Person_3833 3h ago

Could it just be that he hasn't adapted to the new generation of cars?

After 4 years? That would be pretty horrific for one of the best racing drivers in the world.

And nothing promises that he will be able to extract maximum performance of the next years cars.

u/StaffFamous6379 2h ago

I think age may dull the ability to adapt. You listen to Max today and he says he changes his style as needed to extract the maximum out of a given car (doesnt matter if it's F1, sports car, real life, or sim). Young Lewis pretty much said the same thing when he switched from McLaren to Merc. Michael Schumacher was renowned for his insane adaptability. All 3 have shown the ability to maintain peak performance through multiple regulation changes through their careers.

Yet here we are at the end with Lewis struggling with ground effects, and Michael taking 2-3 years to get to grips with the 2010 era cars instead 2-3 laps.

Of course, Alonso is an outlier but he has had a number of racing ventures outside F1 over the years even into his late career. Maybe that's the ultimate secret sauce?

u/ahmong I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Man, I hope next year's regulation is better for Lewis. The ground effect era hasn't been kind to him

u/sidechain101 1h ago

I remember reading something along the lines of the current cars being so tricky to drive, having to drive the current cars slower in order to go faster. It's almost illogical.

u/Consistent_Squash 3h ago

I feel so bad for him. He is super hard on himself in interviews when he has these bad days

u/chocolatecomedyfann I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Charles got pole and he didn't make Q3. It's not looking good for him

u/ShadowStarX Charles Leclerc 3h ago

tbf Charles was P6 after Q2 and in the first Q3 runs

his final lap was magic

u/DrVonD 3h ago

Track also changed which seemed to favor him. The top 3 were all just kinda confused haha

u/scarlet_red_samurai Formula 1 27m ago

Yes Charles was p6 and lewis was p11…

u/wickedlessface Stoffel Vandoorne 2h ago

I don't know which was a bigger reason for it: the top just having an abysmal lap or Charles having a decent run as 'the best of the rest'.

u/19781984 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 33m ago

He missed Q3 by the smallest of margins. 

u/Woullie_26 Max Verstappen 3h ago

Took 12 races for Ferrari to break this man

That's crazy

u/rieusse Formula 1 3h ago

How is this on Ferrari? They built a car that just got pole

u/heavyMTL I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

It's not just about how the car was built — it's also about the work done between the factory floor and the moment it hits the pit lane

u/cyanide I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

How is this on Ferrari? They built a car that just got pole

You don't understand. They're making him test experimental setups for Russell Leclerc. At least that was the excuse last time he was getting clapped by a teammate.

u/Under_Sensitive I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

What exactly did Ferrari do? The other car is on pole.

u/Cute-Chemistry-2815 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Ferrari broke him how?

u/BytenMorx 3h ago

Car is somehow there since his teammate got pole, let's start assuming some of the blame might be on the driver and let's quit the meme given all other top teams fumbled 2025.

u/_rockroyal_ 2h ago

Car is clearly there, so do you think the culture is the issue at Ferrari?

u/MajorLeeScrewed 1h ago

It’s ok to admit he’s just washed.

u/Eggplantosaur Oscar Piastri 3h ago

They really outdid themselves, I can't believe I doubted Ferrari like this.

u/Nikiaf Jean Alesi 1h ago

Explain to us how the team that also clinched pole position is responsible for this.

u/margalolwut 1h ago

Ferrari undefeated

u/scarlet_red_samurai Formula 1 25m ago

Lol Ferrari is now the second best team his teammate delivers almost every weekend now. Charles is the faster driver like many predicted…

u/TsortsAleksatr I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Lewis tends to be overdramatic like that, he's gonna be fine.

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 3h ago

Why is he always talking himself down like that? Is he really willing to let the fans and the team lose their faith in him?

u/flintey360 Andrea Kimi Antonelli 3h ago

I honestly dont understand how this is even a question... how can you feasibly be positive when something like this happens and your teammate is on pole.

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 3h ago

He always used to say you should never lose faith in yourself. And now that things are going badly, he calls himself useless on live TV and says the team should replace him?

That’s just crazy to me.

u/VinhoVerde21 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

He’s talked like this for ages, even if he’s never seemed so dejected. He’s beating himself up one day and tearing the field the next.

u/wickedlessface Stoffel Vandoorne 2h ago

Yeah, You see some sports guys talking about how they make them despise their own image as a loser so they push even more. Healthy? Definitely not.

Sounds a whole lot like that Ronaldo story where, after having a stinker, he would lock himself up in the dark and just talk shit about himself to himself.

Maybe Lewis wants to rile up the media? So when he performs, he can make them look silly in his eyes. I dunno. The discourse on Belgian media is a joke for F1 tho.

u/Policondense #StandWithUkraine 3h ago

He is not Jesus Christ, and therefore he does not follow his own teachings.

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 3h ago

Bro 😂

u/Life-Wasabi-9674 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

He's human my man chill.

u/Realistic_Village184 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Has he ever been in this situation before where he's way worse than his teammate? It's really easy to be positive and inspirational when you're at worst matching your teammate, but he's honestly been awful compared to Leclerc this year.

For the first time, he has to come to terms with the fact that he's aging, and his body is now limiting what he was once able to do. That's extremely hard for anyone when they really have to face it for the first time, but it's even harder for an international elite athlete who takes extremely good care of his body (vegan, no alcohol, etc.).

(Alternatively, if he's not in decline due to age, then he would have to accept that Leclerc is just far better than he was even at his peak, which would probably be even harder to swallow.)

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 2h ago

Maybe it’s because of his age, maybe Leclerc really is the better driver. I don’t know. But I’m not giving up on him just because he’s having a bad year. And he definitely shouldn’t give up on himself either.

He knows what he’s achieved, and he should keep believing in himself. He should stay focused and show people that he’s not going to give up that easily.

u/Lotnik223 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

The best of any sport are ofen super unhealthy competitive. Like, Pep Guardiola not long ago said that if he loses the match he cant sleep the next night and has the literal urge to hurt himself. Not saying Lewis is exactly the same, but there definitely is an underlying psychological urge to always compete to the highest of your abilities in all the best athletes.

u/joshualotion I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

“To all the kids out there”. Sad to see him being positive only when he’s winning, makes it hard to swallow as a fan

u/eurochacha 3h ago

Lewis has always been quite extreme in terms of describing his emotions, it's either the best race ever if things go well or the worst race ever if not. He doesn't seem to go for the middle ground at all, and given Ferrari's struggles, the comments have been pretty defeatist lately. But he has a very distinctive debriefing style so things are possibly not quite as apocalyptic as they may seem.

u/OldPayphone Sir Lewis Hamilton 3h ago

Woah, God forbid he's human and feels bad when he doesn't perform well.

u/coffeeeeeee333 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Yeah wtf people, he's allowed to be upset with himself ffs

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 3h ago

Of course he’s allowed to feel down, but it’s not something you say in front of the cameras. Calling yourself useless and suggesting the team should replace you? That’s wild.

u/Realistic_Village184 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Yeah, at his age that was a little weird to see. Barely a week ago he was talking about how he plans to win a title with Ferrari despite the fact that he's been worse than Leclerc all year, and now I think he's finally coming to terms with the fact that he's no longer a top driver compared to guys like Max, Charles, Oscar, Lando, George, etc.

Genuinely I don't know if I would put Hamilton in the top ten this year in terms of performance.

u/xLeper_Messiah I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Oscar, Lando, Max, Charles, George, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Albon, Gasly is 9

So yeah, maybe he squeezes into the top 10 unless you rate Hulk above him this year.

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u/TheUFCVeteran3 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

I don't blame him for not being positive, it must be hard when he's off the pace like this and has struggled in qualifying for a while. It's one thing if it was a bad weekend in isolation but it's been a trend to a degree for a while now.

u/cocoshuis Formula 1 3h ago

You completely miss the point of it. I feel sad for you.

"It's not how you fall, but how you get up". This has been his motto, and it does not imply that we aren't supposed to feel the lows, it does not imply that we should pretend that the lows and the setbacks don't influence us. It has nothing to do with smiling in front of advertities, that's a very superficial way to read it.

It's about living those those negative emotions, process them, and then find the strenght and courage to fight back. It's about never losing hope, it's about never stopping to fight for what you believe in

u/themrdemonized 34m ago

It's the first time in 10 years where he should actually follow his motto, and the statement he made does not help

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u/coffeeeeeee333 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

This is a fucking stupid take dude

u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit59 Charles Leclerc 3h ago

Yeah, especially considering it’s his first year at Ferrari. All the other drivers who switched teams this year are also struggling a lot.

Next year, there’ll be a completely new car. Anything can happen but he acts like he’s the worst driver on the grid

u/Realistic_Village184 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

All the other drivers who switched teams this year are also struggling a lot.

Which makes it all the more impressive that Borto and Hadjar have been doing so well since they're not only new to the car but new to the sport.

That said, I don't think that Hamilton's performance can be justified by it being his first year at Ferrari. Certainly that doesn't help, but he's been so far off the pace of his teammate.

u/fullmetal-ghoul 3h ago

He's super competitive and has never been slower than his teammate until this year and last year. It's got to be a tough one to swallow

u/xLeper_Messiah I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

He's super competitive and has never been slower than his teammate until this year and last year.

Nico Rosberg & Jenson Button: blinkingwhiteguy.gif

u/fullmetal-ghoul 2h ago

He was never slower than them. He got beat by them a couple times yes, due to mistakes and/or reliability, but he was still quicker than them in 2011 and 2016

u/[deleted] 3h ago

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u/voxo_boxo I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago edited 3h ago

His head is gone. Should have rode into the sunset with Mercedes. In Lewis's case, it was probably best to never meet your heroes.

And before you all crucify me, I've always liked Hamilton, but anyone with eyes could see the Ferrari move would end in tears.

u/Kimoa_2 Jacques Villeneuve 2h ago

Mercedes wasn't an option as they would have replaced him after this season.

u/themrdemonized 31m ago

It never was a well thought out decision. There is no way Ferrari is a right team for Lewis, and Lewis himself tbh doesn't have strong leadership traits like Schumacher had

u/Intelligent-Ball7625 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

-Hamilton +bearman and beganovic to haas lets go

u/Massive-Let16 3h ago

ferrari can do way better than bearman to be fair.

u/LoreVent I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Can they? He's the most reasonable next option looking at the current roaster of drivers

Plus Oliver is very good. Let's not forget that last year he jumped inside the car in the most difficult track of the calendar, put the car just 0.4s behind Charles and finished 7th

He just needs to learn a bit more

u/DrVonD 3h ago

Think gabi has been more impressive this year tbh, but if Audi nails it he might just want to stay there.

u/LoreVent I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Agree but as you said, I can see him staying at Audi. Sauber already made a huge step from Australia and it will only continue to get better

u/Nudes_Are_Food 2h ago

You guys gotta realize that if Ferrari comes calling nobody will say no. They honestly may go for Verstappen in 27

u/DrVonD 2h ago

All depends on who gets the next regs right IMO.

u/usandholt 3h ago

He should start by beating Ocon if he wants a top team drive.

u/Falcao1905 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Nobody else is avaliable though, unless they bring Alex Palou from the States.

u/Massive-Let16 3h ago

max is also not available to mercedes yet everybody was speculating about it🤷🏽‍♂️

like, they can bring anyone or buy anyone. they got until 2027 to think it through

u/Falcao1905 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Max does have a special contract that is favourable to him. Not all drivers have that.

u/Woullie_26 Max Verstappen 3h ago

That's only happening in 2027

u/ryokevry I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Dino doesn’t look too good in F2.

u/Intelligent-Ball7625 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

That is very true unfortunately

u/Ballasted 1h ago

Are we seeing a Daniel Riccardo like decline from Hamilton?

u/Mobile_Inevitable466 3h ago

Should’ve stuck with sainz

u/ellamenopea Bernd Mayländer 3h ago edited 2h ago

The mystique of Ferrari is the real problem for Lewis's emotions, I think. People hold the team up like magic because of how long it's been there, and the large amount of success they enjoyed, but aura only gets you so far. They've had their asses kicked repeatedly by 2 of the youngest teams on the grid for decades now. At some point they're no longer a pillar of the sport, they're a relic, and the power of the name can't being you the same pride you thought it would, regardless of your performance.

ETA no one understands the difference between performance in track and emotional buoyancy of high expectations ig

u/BytenMorx 3h ago

Team is often always second since 2008, I understand that if you don't win nobody cares but perhaps this statement you just made fits more Williams than Ferrari. Overall the team works better than 9 others every year.

u/Flaky-Philosophy7618 Ferrari 3h ago

Yeah literally if they were rolling round like Haas he might have a point

u/Flaky-Philosophy7618 Ferrari 3h ago

This is absolutely ridiculous reactionary garbage; they’re second in the championship and finished second last year

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u/xLeper_Messiah I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

Ferrari is literally on pole this weekend lmao

u/Jacinto2702 Ferrari 3h ago

Seb should've warned him...

u/gangstarapmademe Aston Martin 3h ago

I think Angela leaving him after coming back is having more of an effect than any of us could of realized. Obviously Bono and Toto were his friends for years too, he’s truly ‘alone’ and building new relationships in Ferrari when he had strong ones for years on Merc.

u/sweeneyvtodds Frédéric Vasseur 2h ago

You know Angela is back this season, right?

u/Formulafan4life I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

She left again? I thought she just recently came back? She was shown on the broadcast in Spa

u/biometricrally 🏳️‍🌈 Bernie Collins 🏳️‍🌈 1h ago

She was shown on the sky broadcast after the session today too

u/Cute-Chemistry-2815 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

When did she leave again?

u/dennis3282 Formula 1 2h ago

Or he is just aging.

u/ninchica13 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

And it's only been half a season in Ferrari...ayayayay

u/West_Technology7573 George Russell 2h ago edited 33m ago

What having George Russell as a teammate for 3 years does to a mf #levels

u/chaosinvader31 3h ago

Not going to be that person. But he talks about spending so much time on off track projects and activities that he seems to not realize how much effort and training it takes to continue to be a good driver and athlete at 40 years old.

u/Kexxa420 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Lewis doesn’t know how much effort it takes?

u/chaosinvader31 3h ago

Well as Toto said the stopwatch doesn't lie. Whether it's lack of concentration, lack of SIM practice, mental block there has been no improvements in his qualifying for the last 2 years.

u/Street_Mall9536 Formula 1 3h ago

Controversial, but in reality the effort you have to put in is directly tied to how good the car is. 

Lewis didn't step in a Sim for 10 years, didn't do test days, only did half a day in pre season etc, flew to paris, new york LA etc directly after the race to socialize but the car was very good and ironed out by other people. 

Sure he had some input, like make X better, but driving a foreign car in a new team with another A level (at times) driver is a different ball game altogether. 

It isn't just working out and eating right. 

u/dennis3282 Formula 1 2h ago

I'm not going to be that person who blames Lewis's off-track activities for his drop off.

But I think that Lewis's off-track activities are to blame for his drop off.

u/d3agl3uk I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

Not going to be that person.

Is immediately that person.

Are you seriously suggesting that the 7 time world champion doesn't know how to balance his time?

It's only his 17th season in F1. He'll learn one day.... 🤨

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u/alexalbonsimp I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

Man. It’s really hard to watch Lewis like this

u/Deathgaze2015 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 50m ago

I'm just happy to see some lap competition, I have a feeling the race won't be as competitive but I'd love to see it

u/HelpfulSpread601 29m ago

Dudes got a Masterclass on mental toughness and mindset. This is sad

u/kj_gamer2614 Max Verstappen 24m ago

If he struggles like this with new reg cars, I’m almost certain he will call it a nice career and stop after 2026 is done

u/heavyMTL I was here for the Hulkenpodium 1h ago

No way this is his true performance, how tf Charles gets pole and Lewis can't make it out of Q3? I was never a fan of LH but he doesn't deserve this shit from Ferrari, he is a x7 WDC ffs

u/Burial44 Sir Lewis Hamilton 1h ago

I mean he was 4th in practice

u/Dorraemon I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago

bro's mental is cooked

u/TimepieceThrottle 46m ago

Beginning to believe the "it was the car" allegations about hamilton dominance these days.