Lewis Hamilton feeling terrible as Las Vegas failure adds to ‘worst season ever’

Lewis Hamilton said he feels “terrible” amid what he has described as the worst season of his Formula One career.

Hamilton’s nightmare debut campaign for Ferrari hit rock bottom in Las Vegas after he qualified 20th and last.

He progressed to 10th by the end of the race – subsequently upgraded to eighth following the disqualifications of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – but crossed the line nearly a minute behind winner Max Verstappen.

“I feel terrible,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “Terrible.

“It has been the worst season ever, and no matter how much I try it keeps going worse. I am trying everything in and out of the car.”

Speaking to the written media shortly afterwards, the 40-year-old was asked if he can take any satisfaction from scoring a point.

“Zero,” he replied. “I made up 10 places but it doesn’t mean anything. It is still a bad weekend.”

Hamilton is 74 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, and still awaiting his first podium for Ferrari, with only two races of the 24-round season remaining.

Ferrari have slipped to fourth in the constructors’ standings and when asked if the Italian team can clear Mercedes and Red Bull to rescue a runner-up spot in the team championship, a dejected Hamilton added: “I don’t know how many points we have. But at this rate, with my performance, we don’t (have a chance).

“I have had 22 bad weekends (this season) so I anticipate another couple.”

Prior to Las Vegas, Hamilton said his first season in red had been a “nightmare” after he qualified 12th in Brazil and then retired from the race following an opening-lap collision with Franco Colapinto.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann urged the seven-time world champion to “talk less and focus more on his driving”.