Ferrari radio call to Lewis Hamilton spotted as F1 nightmare worsens

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles during his debut campaign with Ferrari hit a new low at the Hungarian Grand Prix - and weren't aided by a team radio call.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton failed to reach Q3 and could only finish 12th at one of his favourite and most successful F1 tracks, while teammate Charles Leclerc claimed a shock pole and took fourth.

A despondent Lewis Hamilton declared himself “useless” during the torrid weekend and even suggested Ferrari should “change driver” during the F1 summer break as his performance woes continued.

Sky Sports F1 pundit and three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick said Hamilton’s troubles are “very hard listening”.

“It’s definitely not the fairytale we were all hoping for, that’s for sure,” Chadwick told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“It’s been a really tough few races. In that race, lap seven, he was being told to lift more to manage overheating. As a driver, you’re already having a tough weekend, and you’re told you can’t even attack to try and make up for it.

“He just had a tough weekend. It’s compounded issues that we’ve seen earlier in the year. I think part of the reason he’s so down on himself and so frustrated is because he’s gone there to try and win an eighth world title. He wants to win the title and be winning races weekend-in, weekend out.

“Even if you just have one or two bad weekends, that’s frustrating when he knows what he’s there to try and achieve. It’s very hard listening to be honest.

“I really hope the summer break gives time for not just him, but Ferrari, to reflect and find a way out to get the best out of him. It’s not nice for anyone to hear that, but particularly from a driving point of view.”

Lewis Hamilton has ‘unfinished business’

Both Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and former Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff strongly defended Hamilton amid his current run of underwhelming performances.

Vasseur insisted Hamilton is “frustrated but not demotivated” while Wolff stressed the 40-year-old Briton has “unfinished business” in F1 as he continues his quest to win a record-breaking eighth world title.

"Lewis has unfinished business in F1, in the same way that Mercedes underperformed over this last over this latest set of regulations since 2022, we kind of never got happy with ground effect cars,” Wolff told media including Crash.net after Sunday’s race in Budapest.

"In the same way, maybe it's linked to driving style.

"He shouldn't go anywhere. Next year we have brand-new cars, completely different to drive new power units that need an intelligent way of managing the energy.

"That's absolutely on for Lewis. I hope he stays on for many more years, and certainly next year is going to be important one.”

Asked whether Hamilton can win an eighth world title, Wolff replied: "If he has a car that gives him confidence in does what he wants, then yes.

"If he has a car that is not giving him the feedback that he wants, and that was the series of the past few years, and it seems to be in the Ferrari [it's] even worse, then no.

"But you ask me whether he has it, he definitely has it."