Lewis Hamilton complains about ‘snappy’ Ferrari and poor strategy calls as Silverstone podium record ends | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton was unleashed in the condition of his car and during Ferrari’s strategy calls while his proud sequence of Silverstone podiums ended on Sunday.

Hamilton had finished in the first three in his 12 previous races in Silverstone, but was forced to settle for a fourth frustrating at the British Grand Prix 2025 behind Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and a jubilant Nico Hulkenberg, who remarkably secured his first podium despite the start of P19.

The seven times world champion suffered from bad strategy calls throughout a race that was interrupted by the rain and several security cars, but he also had trouble managing a “catchy” car in which he says he does not trust.

“The car was really very difficult to drive,” he complained.

“He simply has no stability. So, you go to the corner, and he slams, slams, slams, slams. It will simply not remain motionless and it makes him so difficult. And at low speed, he does not like to turn. It is a really frustrating balance.”

Hamilton’s difficulties saw him get out of the track several times because he failed to fill the gap in Hulkenberg in the final stages.

“It’s the worst feeling,” he added to Sky Sports F1.

“When he is constantly slamming, you just don’t have confidence. The ultimate goal is to try to strengthen confidence in the car and become faster and faster over time.

“It’s like building a wall then drop it. When you can’t strengthen this confidence, you don’t really go anywhere.

“You are a little in the land of No Man. This is what I felt during most of the race.”

“ We have lost time and places through strategy ”

Hamilton’s difficulties with the car have been aggravated by several strategy calls that have seen him lose the position of the track.

When the rain arrived after 11 laps, the first stop at the Hamilton stand saw it pass from fourth to eighth and it was delayed behind the Haas of Esteban Ocon then the Alpine by Pierre Gasly for several laps.

When Hamilton went to Gasly in the 29th round and Lance walks around 35, fans of the house expected that he unwanted Hulkenberg for the third, but his team called him too early for smooth tires and he fought when he came out.

Hamilton lost about five seconds in the first two corners after stopping at the stand and Hulkenberg extended his advantage over the intermediate tires before stopping a tour later to refuse Hamilton a 13th domestic podium.

“We have lost time and a lot of places thanks to the strategy,” added Hamilton.

“I don’t really know how I was P4 and I got out P8. It made life very difficult. I was stuck behind three cars for a long time.

“Then, I stopped at the start of the hope of a great counter-deputness and Jeez, it was so delicate. This car does not like these conditions at all.

“A big snap and I went widely three to three and it lost me a ton of time. There was a lot of mistakes. It was not a good day.”

“ What we have is so difficult to drive ”

Ferrari’s team director Frederic Vasseur revealed after the race that certain decisions had been made “blind” because their GPS system had failed after 10 laps and that they did not know where Hamilton was on the track.

This contributed to a frustrating finish at a weekend that had started to promise when Hamilton dominated the time sheet in the first practice and seemed a real threat to the McLarens.

“I think what is positive this weekend is that in practice I was there. I was much more satisfied with the balance of the car in dry. And then by qualifying, we were a lot, much stronger,” he added.

“I think there are a lot of positive points, and also on a race like this, even if it’s not great, you can download a lot.

“I feel like I know how to explain to the team what I don’t want to build in next year’s car.

“What we have right now makes things so difficult to drive, in particular under these conditions.”

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