LEWIS HAMILTON caught a stray from his own boss after a miserable weekend in Brazil.
The seven-time world champion collected just two points in the sprint, qualified 13th for the Grand Prix and retired from the race itself.
There was an element of misfortune about the way Hamilton‘s Grand Prix unravelled – having sustained damage in a collision with Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto on the opening lap.
He retreated to the pits for a front wing change but downed tools by lap 39 due to floor damage.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur didn’t appear overly sympathetic.
And he appeared to personally stick the boot in with a comment about Hamilton’s lack of speed relative to team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Vasseur said: “I can’t complain about the pace this weekend – at least as far as Charles is concerned.”
Leclerc claimed P5 in the sprint and gazumped Hamilton with the third-fastest lap time in qualifying before seeing his own Grand Prix ruined by contact with Kimi Antonelli.
Although Leclerc objectively had better pace than Hamilton throughout the trip to Sao Paulo, some fans were unimpressed by Vasseur’s comments.
One social media user wrote: “Bit of a snarky remark tbf.”
BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK
Another chimed in with: “Pretty shady from Vasseur.”
And a third posted: “I hoped they were signing Lewis to learn from his experience but nothing has been learnt.”
Lando Norris ended up triumphant in Brazil as he extended his Championship lead over McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri with three weekends to go.
Hamilton, 40, has endured a frustrating debut season with Ferrari.
He trails Leclerc by 66 points in the Drivers’ Championship and hasn’t notched a single podium – despite his team-mate managing seven.
Hamilton said in Brazil: “I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to deliver a good result today.
“All I can say is; you can’t give up, you’ve got to keep on trying, you’ve got to keep on pushing, you’ve got to keep on giving absolutely everything and it’s not over until it’s over.
“I know this is painful, but I really believe that hardships prepare us for something greater. And I really do believe that something is up ahead for us, something positive is up ahead for us. I’ve got to believe that.”
