Former F1 champion, Nico Rosberg, stresses that Hamilton is in a ‘very dark situation’ after his P6 finish at the 2025 Spanish GP.
After outqualifying Ferrari partner Charles Leclerc, the Briton started the race in Barcelona at P5, but he was not to be a Spanish Grand Prix winner. The seven-time champion experienced a sluggish start during the first stint. Eventually, the Italian team instructed him to switch positions with Leclerc in the early stages.
Luckily for Ferrari, this resulted in the Monégasque grabbing a podium finish behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton crossed the chequered flag in sixth place behind Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg.
The 40-year-old champion trailed Leclerc by 12 seconds before the Safety Car deployed on Lap 55 of 66. Unfortunately, the British racer finished 15 seconds behind the race leader at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This led to criticism on the grid from Nico Rosberg.
Nico Rosberg on Lewis Hamilton after the 2025 Spanish GP
Speaking as a race pundit for Sky F1 on Sunday evening, Nico Rosberg – the ex-F1 champion – expressed his deep concerns for his former team-mate. Dubbing it a ‘shockingly bad’ run, he claimed that Hamilton is in a ‘very dark situation’ following the P6 finish at Barcelona.
“It’s hard to watch. Sunday was horrible for him because he was slow out there, which is very unusual,” he said.
“Yes, sometimes he’s off in qualifying, but in races he’s usually really awesome, and the race was shockingly bad. He doesn’t have answers either.
“Was there damage on the floor? These floors are so sensitive, and there can always be a bit there, and you lose a lot of time.”
“When you don’t have any answers, it’s really tough as a driver. Then you see your teammate race their way to third place on the podium.”
“In light of the whole season he’s had so far, it’s a very dark situation.”
The pair have history in this race, with Hamilton and Rosberg’s crash in 2016 a huge event in Spanish GP history – but this race – is one to forget for the Briton.
Hamilton says Ferrari SF-24 had ‘the worst’ balance he’s ever experienced in a race car
Hamilton, however, revealed the likely cause of his unusual stint in Spain.
In the post-race session, the British legend disclosed that his SF-24’s balance was a worrying issue. He expressed that the balance was ‘the worst’ he’s ever felt in his eighteen long years of racing.
“I have no idea why it was so bad. Worst race I’ve experienced, balance-wise,” Hamilton said.
This comment came after he declared this to his race engineer, Riccardo Adami: “Unbelievable, guys. There’s something wrong with this car, mate. It’s the worst it’s ever been.”
However, during the radio conversation, he also blamed himself for the torrid performance.
“It was just not a great day,” he added. “Strategy was good, team did a great job. What do you want me to say?
“I just had a really bad day, and I’ve 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,” he ended by saying.
Similar to his race result, the Briton is currently sitting in sixth place in the 2025 Driver Standings. He and his teammate, Leclerc, will next take on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at the 2025 Canadian GP.