Damon Hill defends Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari start: ‘He’s got a lot on his shoulders’

1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill has defended Lewis Hamilton’s underwhelming start to his Ferrari career, highlighting the challenges of adapting to a new team.

Hamilton has not scored a podium in his first 13 races as a Ferrari F1 driver.

His best race finish in a grand prix has been fourth, while Hamilton’s best drive of the year came in the China sprint race.

The Belgian Grand Prix was another poor weekend for Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion was knocked out in Q1 in the two qualifying sessions.

An inspired strategy call in the grand prix propelled Hamilton up the order to seventh.

However, his wet setup gamble meant he could not get ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon.

Hamilton’s podium-less streak at Ferrari is unprecedented, with two other drivers in the team’s history waiting longer for their first rostrum appearance.

Speaking after the race on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Hill understands why Hamilton has struggled to adapt to his new team.

“You can understand why people think you can, if you’re quick, just jump in and off you go. But these cars are so complicated,” Hill said.

“When you’ve spent 10 years at Mercedes doing things a certain way, it takes an awful lot to get out of that mode of thinking. All the switches are in a different place. Loads of things you have to think about.

“The way the brakes work and the car feels, all these things are alien to you. And quite apart from the fact that a lot of people are speaking Italian, and he doesn’t know.’

Hamilton has “a lot on his shoulders”

Aside from his driving duties, Lewis Hamilton has been pushing for change behind the scenes to turn Ferrari into a title-contending force again.

Hill believes the additional responsibility on Hamilton will have an impact on his on-track performance.

“It is difficult to bed yourself in, and he’s got a lot on his shoulders. I know he’s 40-something years old now. And he’s a seven-time, stroke, eight-time world champion. Nevertheless, you still feel it. He wants to deliver.

“It’s awfully hard when you’ve had a bad qualifying and you’ve got all this responsibility on your shoulders. I don’t care how much experience you’ve had. That is a tough one.”

Hamilton will be confident of a strong result at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Hungaroring has been one of Hamilton's best tracks over the years, winning the race on eight previous occasions.