Hamilton calls season ‘worst ever’ after Vegas disappointment

Hamilton deeply disappointed after Vegas race

Lewis Hamilton calls this season «the worst ever». He said this after a tough race in Las Vegas. He managed to climb up to tenth place, but he didn't feel anything about it. He was visibly upset.

What happened on the track

Hamilton gained many places on the first lap. According to him, it was fairly straightforward. He stayed out of trouble and overtook two Haas cars.

After that, things slowed down. He spent a long time chasing Nico Hülkenberg. Hülkenberg eventually finished ninth. Hamilton was unable to keep up with Hülkenberg's pace in the final stint. He was also almost overtaken by Ocon's Haas. In addition, he said that there was a shift in balance after contact with Alex Albon.

No satisfaction despite recovery

The recovery to tenth place did not give him any positive feelings. He said that the performance was not at all satisfying. According to Hamilton, the team has already tried everything with the 2025 car. It is not working as expected. He added that, given his own form, Ferrari has no real chance of finishing second in the constructors' championship.

Team response and context

Team boss Fred Vasseur responded calmly. He pointed out that starting from P19/P20 already makes the race difficult. Vasseur thought Hamilton had a great first part of the race. In the second stint, there were problems with the medium tyres. He called for everyone to stay calm and discuss everything in the debrief.

Leclerc: personally good, result frustrating

Charles Leclerc finished the weekend in sixth place, 0.2 seconds off the top five. Leclerc said it was his best race of the season in terms of personal performance. He felt that every lap was like a qualifying lap. There were few mistakes. Still, P6 is frustrating for him.

• Hamilton: calls this season the worst of his career.
• He recovered to P10, but felt no satisfaction.
• Problems: balance issues after contact with Albon and tyre problems in the second stint.
• Vasseur: starting far back made it difficult; debrief needed.
• Leclerc: strong personal performance, yet disappointed with P6.

The atmosphere in the media corner was sombre. Hamilton even had to deny that he wanted to leave F1. The team and drivers will now continue to discuss behind the scenes what needs to change.