F1: Lewis Hamilton Offers Just 9 Words After Qualifying 18th For Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Race

Formula One: Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (AP)

Lewis Hamilton’s self-described ‘nightmare’ with Ferrari hit a new low on Friday when he was reduced to using only nine words in a terse interview after qualifying 18th on the grid for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old seven-time world champion struggled throughout the sprint qualifying session and was eliminated after the first segment, returning to the Ferrari pits without removing his helmet.

Hamilton has already set an unwanted record at Ferrari by going 22 races without a podium finish in his first season with the team following his unexpected switch from Mercedes last year.

He reported on team radio that his car “couldn’t go any quicker” despite overhauling his set-up and switching to a high-downforce rear wing to find more performance at the high-downforce, high-grip Lusail International Circuit north of Doha.

This was his second consecutive Q1 exit, following the humiliation of qualifying 20th and last in Las Vegas for the first time in his career two weeks earlier.

Man Of Fewer Words Than Wins

In a brief interview with Sky Sports F1, he was asked what made his car so difficult to drive and replied: “Same as always.”

When asked if the changes made to the car had made any difference, he said: “No, clearly not.”

Finally, when asked if he could take any positives from the session, he responded: “The weather’s nice.”

Ferrari needs a strong finish to the season after facing criticism from executive chairman John Elkann.

Hamilton has struggled this season, with his performances falling below expectations.

Aside from winning a sprint race in China in March, the 40-year-old Briton has not secured a victory for Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc has also not won a race this season, despite having won three with Ferrari in 2024.

However, the Monaco driver leads Hamilton 7-0 in podiums and is comfortably ahead in the standings. Leclerc is fifth with 226 points, while his teammate is sixth with 152, only 15 points ahead of Kimi Antonelli, his 19-year-old replacement at Mercedes.

(With inputs from Agencies)