Lewis Hamilton experienced another disastrous weekend in Zandvoort. The Ferrari driver crashed while battling for fifth place, marking his first retirement since joining Scuderia. Moreover, it was his second consecutive race without scoring points – an unprecedented situation for the seven-time world champion. Former driver Ralf Schumacher described the situation as ‘tragic’, although he believes Hamilton has not lost his speed.
In an analysis for the German branch of Sky Sport, Ralf Schumacher reflected on Hamilton’s race weekend. “I’m slowly beginning to understand,” said the German. “Because on one hand, he still has it, but on the other hand, he’s putting enormous pressure on himself.” According to Schumacher, this mental strain is evident in Hamilton’s performance: “If nothing changes soon, I don’t know how it can continue. It’s tragic to see him like this. The speed is there, but there’s too much going on around him.”
Podium Drought
Despite the disappointing results, Hamilton remains remarkably positive. The Brit expressed his satisfaction with the progress he and Ferrari are making after the race, even though it did not yield any points in Zandvoort. He faces a new challenge soon in Monza, the Scuderia’s home race. The Brit will receive a five-place grid penalty there for speeding under double yellow flags this weekend. This makes his first Ferrari podium seem far off for now.
There are few Ferrari drivers who have gone through a season without reaching the podium. Kimi Räikkönen was the last one; he did not manage to get beyond fourth place in 2014. Felipe Massa had a similar streak in 2011, where he did not finish higher than P5. Lewis’ teammate, Ferrari star Charles Leclerc, has already made it to the podium five times this year.
Hamilton had to retire after a crash during the Dutch GP at Zandvoort – a tragic event, according to Ralf Schumacher.
