Formula One: Hamilton calls himself 'useless,' suggests driver change at Ferrari - Omni sports
It was a new low in a difficult first season with Ferrari for seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton, who qualified outside the top 10 for the second race in a row.
"I'm useless, absolutely useless," Hamilton told British broadcaster Sky Sports.
'The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So, they probably need to change driver.'
Hamilton had said 'every time, every time' over the radio after he was eliminated in the second part of qualifying. That signified that 'it's me every time,' he clarified to Sky later.
Qualifying problems continue
Hamilton had earlier seemed set to qualify 13th, and he was only promoted to 12th after the second part of qualifying had finished. That was because Kimi Antonelli's time was struck out after it was noticed the Mercedes rookie had gone outside the track limits.
It was the second week running that Hamilton had been frustrated with his qualifying performance. He qualified 18th for the sprint race in Belgium last week after a spin, and 16th for the Grand Prix when one of his times was struck out.
Still, Hamilton delivered one of his best drives of the year, cutting through the field on a wet track, and eventually finished seventh.
A long first year at Ferrari
After a move from Mercedes which stunned F1 last year, Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix race with Ferrari, with a best finish of fourth.
He did win a sprint race in China in March, but a double disqualification for technical infringements on Hamilton and Leclerc's cars in the Chinese Grand Prix the next day required a time-consuming rethink of Ferrari's race setups.
Leclerc is fifth in the standings, only one position ahead of Hamilton, but has five podium finishes in 2005. In Sunday's race, he'll aim to give Ferrari its first F1 win since October.
Last week, Hamilton said it was 'crunch time' and revealed he's been holding a series of meetings with Ferrari executives to discuss improvements and ensure he has more of a say in how the team develops its car for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
20 minutes ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Brazil's Paixao promises 'big things' at Marseille unveiling - World
Brazil striker Igor Paixao was unveiled at Marseille on Monday as he vowed to deliver in Ligue 1 the form and ambition he showed at Feyenoord. The 25-year-old scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions last season, before his 35 million euros ($40 million) switch to Marseille on a five-year deal. After finishing runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain last year, Marseille will play in the Champions League in the upcoming campaign where Paixao can link up with former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood. Paixao said he owed it to Marseille to give everything, and that this matched his ambition to make the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. "Marseille is a club with values. That's very important for me, for everyone. I want to give my all... It's a major responsibility and I think we're going to do big things," he said. Paixao added he was inspired by former Marseille player Franck Ribery. "With his dribbling, his goals, Ribery was an exceptional player, I will try to be like him, to be able to make history with this club," he said. Paixao earned one Brazil under-23 cap in 2023. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Bayer Leverkusen extends Patrik Schick's contract until 2030 - World
Bayer Leverkusen has extended a contract for Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick until 2030, the German Bundesliga club said on Monday. Schick's original deal was to expire in 2027. The announcement came after a string of key players left the club this off-season. They include midfielder Granit Xhaka, attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, right back Jeremie Frimpong and defender Jonathan Tah — all crucial to Leverkusen's league and cup double in 2024. Also, coach Xabi Alonso departed for Real Madrid. Schick was Leverkusen's top scorer last season with 27 goals in 45 games and scored a total of 64 goals in the Bundesliga for the club since his arrival in 2020. Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who was appointed in May to replace Alonso, is faced with a big rebuild due to the departures. Leverkusen's off-season spending so far has gone on American attacking midfielder Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven and former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, while the club's also signed Brentford's highly-rated goalkeeper Mark Flekken. 'Bayer 04 is working hard to assemble a top team for the future,' Schick said. 'I firmly believe that we will continue to play a significant role in the Bundesliga and in Europe.' (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Formula One: Three things we learned from the Hungarian Grand Prix - Omni sports
Ferrari may have endured another afternoon to forget in Hungary on Sunday with polesitter Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Lewis Hamilton a disappointing 12th, but their underlying performance showed they could be challengers for victories this season. Post-race analysis and reaction to Hamilton's emotional outbursts revealed a very different evaluation of a race dominated by runaway leaders McLaren. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's thriller at the Hungaroring: Ferrari turmoil masks upward momentum Two unhappy drivers and the speculation over Hamilton's form and future suggested Ferrari continued a downward spiral, but rivals and seasoned viewers said that simple conclusion is inaccurate. Leclerc grumbled the team wrecked the "one opportunity" to win this season, but he changed his view once he learned the cause of his car's mid-race loss of pace while leading. He had thought a front wing set-up change, during a pit-stop, was his undoing, but Ferrari said it was something else which cost him around two seconds a lap. Boss Fred Vasseur did not reveal the problem, but stressed that Leclerc's recent form, including pole in Hungary and a podium in Belgium, confirmed their upgraded car was competitive -- a view shared by rival team chief Andrea Stella of McLaren. He said he thought Ferrari will be a "contender for victories for the remainder of the season" while both Vasseur and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said Hamilton would shine again, after the 40-year-old declared he was "useless" and should be replaced. "He's demanding," said Vasseur. "But I think it's also why he's seven-times world champion... I understand him and he will be back." Wolff, who guided Hamilton to six drivers' titles, said: "That is Lewis, wearing his heart on his sleeve. It's what he felt very much when asked straight after that session and it was very raw. "But he is still the GOAT (greatest of all time) and he still has it (the talent to win an eighth title)." Norris honesty reflects new age Once a bastion of gladiatorial sporting combat with a testosterone-fuelled culture, Formula One has in recent years developed a more compassionate culture. This was in evidence as Carlos Sainz defended his friend and former McLaren team-mate Lando Norris' honesty. "He opens up to the media and to people more than any other driver on the grid -- and people use that against him," said the Spaniard. "What you see on TV is what he is as a human being. He's very good at showing himself. I find it ironic and frustrating -- he's the only guy being 100 percent genuine... and then people go back at him." After three wins in four races, Norris' triumph on Sunday cut McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri's championship lead to nine points to quieten those critics who had accused him of being mentally weaker than the cool, more introverted Australian. "It's tough already and going to be tougher," said Norris. "It's pretty small margins between us... Even if the results look great, I'm not making life easy for myself so I need to work on a few things to be in a better place." Alonso offers inspiration for Hamilton If Hamilton needed inspiration on Sunday, it was found at Aston Martin where Fernando Alonso, a two-time champion who failed to land a title at Ferrari, shrugged off a back injury to land his best result of the year as he finished fifth. Once bitter team-mates at McLaren, the pair are now respectful colleagues and F1's elder statesmen. "Big points for the team before the summer break, it feels good," Alonso said after he showed he's still got it at 44. Alonso began his career in 2001, claimed his maiden win in Hungary two years later, and has taken part in 417 Grands Prix (Hamilton has started 370), but perhaps significantly took two years off in 2019 and 2020 to recover from exhaustion. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
