Lewis Hamilton crash judgement made by F1’s most brutally honest voice

Lewis Hamilton was spared a scathing review after he crashed out of the F1 Dutch Grand Prix by Jacques Villeneuve.

The 1997 F1 champion Villeneuve has a reputation for his no-nonsense analysis and brutal honesty of today’s drivers and racing.

But he saw no reason to lambast Lewis Hamilton for his first DNF in Ferrari colours.

Hamilton lost control at Turn 3 at Zandvoort and went into the barriers at low speed, but it was enough to prematurely end his race.

He insisted he was “surprised” as he explained what went wrong.

But Villeneuve noted the slightly wet conditions and refused to be too critical.

“It’s so easy to make,” Villeneuve told Sky Sports about Hamilton’s mistake.

“When it drizzles, you just never know when it will be one drop too much.

“We have all been caught out.

“When you drive in the dry, you drive as you normally drive. Suddenly you slide.

“The way he slid, you could tell it was just a sudden lack of grip.

A bit of wet on the paint, and he got caught out. Not by much.

“He just glanced the tyre barrier… and that was it.”

Lewis Hamilton 'did a very good job' at F1 Dutch Grand Prix

Ferrari endured yet another race to forget because Charles Leclerc also crashed out.

Leclerc was wiped out of the race in a collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.

It means Ferrari scored zero points a week before heading to their home grand prix at Monza.

Team principal Fred Vasseur told Sky Sports about Hamilton: “I think he was behind George from the beginning of the race when we had the first results.

“He was a bit wider in the corner. He was a bit faster than the lap before. A bit wider, and he touched the damp side of the track.

“Overall, I think Lewis did a very good job this weekend.

“It was part of the recovery of the team. He was able to push us, and come back at a decent pace, after Friday.

“If you want to score points you have to finish the race.”

Hamilton did go home from Zandvoort more upbeat than F1 fans might have expected given his first DNF for his new team.

The 40-year-old insisted that progress has been made by his iconic employers.

Next week he will race at Monza for Ferrari for the first time, hoping to delight the Tifosi.