Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging Spanish Grand Prix, ultimately finishing sixth despite initially starting ahead of Charles Leclerc. Although he gained one position after Max Verstappen received a time penalty, the result was far from what Hamilton had envisioned. His performance marked another missed opportunity to stand on the podium this season.
Qualifying in fifth place had fueled Hamilton’s optimism about securing a top-three finish. A strong start saw him get ahead of George Russell, momentarily raising hopes of contending with the front-runners. However, his race soon started to fall apart, as he failed to maintain pace and fell behind his team mate.
By Lap 10, Mercedes had already instructed a position swap between Hamilton and Russell, as the latter appeared quicker despite the two being on differing strategies. This early strategic move indicated Hamilton’s struggles with car performance, which became more evident as the race unfolded and positions shifted.
Hamilton’s pace remained underwhelming throughout the race. He slipped further back during pit stops and, at one point, was overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber on a straight following the Safety Car restart — a moment that further highlighted his lack of speed. Ultimately, he crossed the line in seventh, only promoted to sixth after Verstappen’s penalty.
Reflecting on the result, Hamilton admitted he was disappointed and confused by the car’s behavior. He noted that the balance felt off during the race despite a relatively promising qualifying session. Acknowledging Charles Leclerc’s strong performance, Hamilton congratulated his rival while expressing uncertainty over what went wrong with his own car.
Looking ahead, Hamilton expressed frustration that he learned “absolutely nothing” from the triple-header of races, despite managing his best finish of the season (P4) in Imola. With the next race set in Canada — a venue where he has historically excelled — the seven-time world champion will be hoping for a significant turnaround in performance.
