Hamilton admits Vegas fight back offers ‘zero’ consolation

Lewis Hamilton’s long, bleak first year with Ferrari sank deeper into frustration on Saturday night, as the seven-time world champion admitted that even a recovery drive from the back of the grid to a solitary point in Las Vegas brought him nothing resembling satisfaction.

Hamilton started 20th after a qualifying session ruined when he failed to cross the line in time for a final Q1 lap. He battled forward to tenth, but any hope of a mood lift was quickly extinguished.

Speaking after the race, he said he felt “terrible” and added, “it’s been the worst season ever and no matter how I try, how much I try, it just keeps getting worse”.

The 40-year-old said he has thrown everything he can at the year both on and off the track, yet cannot understand why the spiral continues. Ferrari’s struggles have left him sixth in the standings, still without a podium, and increasingly distant from teammate Charles Leclerc.

‘The most meaningless 10 places’

Hamilton offered little comfort to himself or his team when asked whether scoring a point from last place gave him any measure of pride.

“Zero. The most meaningless 10 places, doesn't mean anything. It's still a bad weekend,” he replied.

When pressed for positives, he delivered the same tone in even fewer words: “no”.

Even a strong opening lap – which lifted him to 13th thanks in part to first-corner chaos — received no enthusiasm.

“It was a pretty straightforward first lap, I just stayed out of trouble,” he said.

Attention then turned to the remaining rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with Ferrari still chasing second in the constructors’ standings. Hamilton could not hide his pessimism.

“I don't even know how many points we have, but at this rate, with my performance, we're done,” he said.

He ended his night with a final, stark summary of the year: “I’ve had 22 bad weekends,” and when asked if the off-season might offer a chance to reset, he answered simply, “I don’t know.”

Leclerc Frustrated but Encouraged by Race Pace

Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth after starting ninth, found little joy in Ferrari’s overall result but did take heart from his own form after a difficult wet qualifying session.

“It's not a good result – P6 is very disappointing,” Leclerc admitted. But he emphasised that the performance itself was one of his strongest of the year.

“On another note, I felt like it was probably the best race of the season in terms of personal performance. I felt like, honestly, all the laps were quali laps and there weren't many mistakes.

“So, I'm very happy with my own performance, but P6 is very frustrating.”

Hamilton leaves Las Vegas with one more point, no more optimism, and a season he now describes only in terms of how much he wants it to end – though even that, he suggests, no longer feels like a guarantee of relief.

2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Race results

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