Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has revealed that Lewis Hamilton privately apologised to colleague Rachel Brookes following his sombre and terse interview after last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, in which the Ferrari driver projected a particularly downbeat demeanor.
Hamilton was visibly dejected after finishing a disappointing sixth in Barcelona while his teammate Charles Leclerc savoured his third podium of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The seven-time world champion’s post-race interview clearly laid bare the emotional toll of his challenging debut season with Ferrari. And Brookes was on the receiving end of the Briton’s despondency.
In the media pen, his responses to the Sky F1 reporter were unusually short and downcast.
"Not particularly, it was not a great day,” Hamilton said when asked if there was anything positive to take from the race.
When questioned about the team’s strategy, he replied simply: “The strategy was good, the team did a great job. That’s it.”
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Hamilton's radio chatter: Ferrari car 'the worst it's ever been'When Brookes expressed sympathy - "I hate seeing you in this mood” - Hamilton responded candidly: “Well what do you want me to say? I just had a really bad day and I’ve got nothing to say.
“It was a difficult day, there’s nothing else to add to it, it was terrible. There’s no point explaining it, it’s not your fault, I just don’t know what else to say.”
Brookes tried to reassure him, saying Ferrari would likely find out what went wrong, but Hamilton remained self-critical: “I'm sure they won't, the answer is probably just me.”
Hamilton Apologised to Brookes
Speaking to Sky Sports News, David Croft revealed how the emotional impact of the race extended beyond the on-camera exchange.
“He was massively down when he was talking to Rachel Brookes and actually apologised to Rachel for being so down when the cameras stopped rolling,” Croft said.
The F1 commentator went on to explain that Hamilton was unaware of a car issue at the time of the interview, which may have contributed to his poor performance and mood.
“It’s not going as well as Lewis would have hoped. It’s certainly not going as well as Ferrari would have hoped. Lewis didn’t know that there was damage on his car and there was something wrong with his car,” Crofty added.
“Ferrari haven’t been too specific as yet with exactly what was wrong. I’m sure once he gets a chance to debrief with the team that will improve his mood a little bit in that it’s not him.”
“You don’t stop becoming the greatest overnight”
Croft staunchly defended Hamilton’s enduring talent, stating: “And I don’t think it is him. You don’t stop becoming the greatest racing driver overnight, and I do think Lewis Hamilton is the best Formula 1 driver of all time.
“You might lose a little bit of sharpness once you get to 40 and in qualifying that might become more apparent but you certainly don’t lose your racecraft.
“His performance in Imola, making up for being 12th on the grid, his performance in Monaco, and his performance in the sprint weekend in China shows he has still got that racecraft and can still come through the field.”
Croft added that equipment failures can mask a driver’s true ability.
“If you are driving with one wheel tied behind your back then you are not going to produce the kind of results we’ve seen from Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona before. It’s a track he’s gone really, really well at.”
Hope for a Turnaround in Canada
Croft closed on a hopeful note, suggesting the next round in Montreal could offer Hamilton a chance to rediscover his form at a venue he has historically dominated.
“Canada is another track where Lewis has gone spectacularly well at over the years, so maybe getting back to what you love and what you know will be a huge boost for Lewis.
“And we keep our fingers crossed because nobody wants to see Lewis Hamilton not being competitive. We want to see some of the moves which have thrilled us over the years.”
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Hamilton apologized to Sky F1’s Brookes for downbeat interview F1i.com.
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