Paris, Dec 8: Lewis Hamilton’s dream move to Ferrari resulted in a nightmare first season.
The 40-year-old British driver’s quest to win a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 title with his new team failed dismally, with Hamilton not even getting on the podium in a Grand Prix race.
Matters became so frustrating that at one point Hamilton suggested Ferrari should replace him with another driver.
Australian driver Jack Brabham was 40 when he won the F1 title in 1966, but Hamilton fell well short of matching that feat.
Hamilton won a short-format sprint race in China in March, but in the 24 main F1 races did not finish higher than fourth. He took no pole positions and placed a disappointing sixth in the F1 standings, a sizable 86 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth.
Overall, the former Mercedes star has won only two F1 races over the past four seasons.
His frustration has at times been expressed in curt team radio exchanges during this campaign with Ferrari race engineer Ricciardo Adami. Hamilton sarcastically told him to “have a tea break” during the Miami GP in May. (AP)
