Lewis Hamilton was not a happy man at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he made sure Ferrari heard about it. The seven-time world champion crossed the finish line in fourth place, but he believes his own team cost him a shot at the podium.
The race in Zandvoort saw Lando Norris take the win, with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounding out the top three. Russell now sits tied with Hamilton in the standings, while Antonelli extends his championship lead.
Hamilton ended up just 0.849 seconds behind Russell, but the real damage happened earlier. He had charged up to third place on much fresher tires than his teammate Charles Leclerc, who was running second.
That’s when Hamilton started pleading with the team over the radio. “I’m quicker than Charles. Tyres are better,” he said, urging Ferrari to move Leclerc out of his way.
Ferrari did tell Leclerc to pit that lap, but he reportedly refused. Hamilton’s frustration boiled over: “We are just losing time.”
When Leclerc finally boxed on the next lap, Hamilton didn’t hold back. “Great way of wasting time guys, good job,” he fired off.
The tension didn’t stop there. Later, Ferrari discussed a strategy switch with Hamilton, mentioning a new set of mediums. Hamilton shot back, “It didn’t look great on Charles.
Is it slower?” When the team admitted they weren’t sure, Hamilton snapped, “You guys have got the data, so figure it out. Please.”
A virtual safety car near the end only added to the 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒶. Hamilton questioned if he was being used as a test subject, asking, “Are you using me as a guinea pig or what? How long will you have me stay out?”
After the checkered flag, Ferrari tried to console him, saying he did a good job and was unlucky to miss the podium. Hamilton wasn’t buying it. “We weren’t unlucky.
We lost time earlier on and that cost us P3,” he concluded.
With tensions rising between Hamilton and Ferrari, one question remains: can this partnership survive the pressure of a title fight?
