Lewis Hamilton says he's 'useless' and suggests a driver change at Ferrari after teammate takes pole
It was a new low in a difficult first season with Ferrari for seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton, who qualified outside the top 10 for the second race in a row.
"I'm useless, absolutely useless," Hamilton told British broadcaster Sky Sports.
'The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So they probably need to change driver.'
Hamilton had said 'every time, every time' over the radio after he was eliminated in the second part of qualifying. That signified that 'it's me every time,' he clarified to Sky later.
Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix race with Ferrari, with a best finish of fourth, though he did win a sprint race in China in March.
Leclerc is fifth in the standings, only one position ahead of Hamilton, but has five podium finishes in 2005. In Sunday's race, he'll aim to give Ferrari its first F1 win since October.
Last week, Hamilton said it was 'crunch time' and revealed he's been holding a series of meetings with Ferrari executives to discuss improvements and ensure he has more of a say in how the team develops its car for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Acura Can Catch Porsche in IMSA WeatherTech Manufacturer's Chase
Now that the others have won, look for a return to a less draconian BoP for the Ferrari 499P in the WEC and Porsche in IMSA. It remains to be seen if IMSA officials have in fact balanced the performance. Hopefully, there will be a straight fight for the manufacturer title between Porsche and Acura, which trails by 90 points. After two straight victories by the Acura MSR team in the WeatherTech Championship, the interregnum is over for the Porsche Penske Motorsport team. Having been hobbled by the Balance of Performance (BoP), the Porsche team will have a chance to stand atop the podium again on Sunday after the sprint race at Road America. Urs Keratle, the director for Porsche's 963 program, said that simulations have shown the team will 'be able to compete with the others. The reality we will see in qualifying and the race.' The subtraction of weight (nine kilograms) and a 5.2% increase in Stage 2 power for the Porsches in the BoP prior to Road America reflects the current sports car racing season's pattern in both the World Endurance Championship and IMSA. The best performing cars and their teams have been heavily penalized midway in the season by BoP to open the door to other manufacturers. Now that the others have won, look for a return to a less draconian BoP for the Ferrari 499P in the WEC and Porsche in IMSA. Cadillac and its Jota team won its first WEC race in Round 5 in Brazil, where officials made it very unlikely for the Ferraris, winners of four straight races, to compete for victory. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Porsche 2,182 Acura 2,092 Cadillac 1,974 BMW 1,962 Aston Martin 1,439 In IMSA, each of the two Acuras entered by Jim Meyers and Michael Shank won in Detroit and Watkins Glen in part because of the BoP hampering the Porsches. Cadillac scored three podiums in those two events. Keratle suggested Porsche Penske was unable to control its own destiny. 'We are prepared to be competitive in the races if it's very well in our hands,' he said. Who stands atop the podium at Wisconsin's picturesque Elkhart Lake circuit and then celebrates at the Siebkens resort will have a significant impact on the driver and manufacturer championships for the IMSA GTP season, which has two endurance races remaining after the Motul SportsCar Grand Prix. It remains to be seen if IMSA officials have in fact balanced the performance and a straight fight for the manufacturer title will evolve between Porsche and Acura, which trails by 90 points. On the driver side, the four straight victories by Porsche Penske to open the season put its drivers in an almost unassailable position. Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet, drivers of the No. 6 Porsche 963, lead teammates Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr by 12 points after the latter two's poor result at the Glen. Acura MSR drivers Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, winners in Detroit, trail the Porsche drivers by 262 points in third place. There's more to come in the manufacturers' contest after the Glen victory, said David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation USA. The combination of the Meyers-Shank team and engineers from the HRC factory is beginning to pay dividends. Along with driver Tom Blomqvist, they successfully executed a challenging fuel strategy to grab the victory at the Glen from the Cadillac of Action Express Racing before celebrating at the Seneca Lodge. 'We are six races into the season and we're starting to show what we're made of,' said Salters. 'It was a great weekend, but we must keep pushing.' The Acura MSR squad gained 112 points in the factory title chase with its victories. The team likely needs to win at least two of the three remaining races to overcome the 90-point gap to Porsche Penske. Where Porsche Penske has no team orders, Acura MSR can employ split strategies and concentrate on just getting one car into Victory Lane. Blomqvist, who co-drove with Colin Braun on board the No. 60 ARX-06 at the Glen, is reconciled to his team now concentrating on the manufacturers title. 'We still stand a chance in the manufacturers, which is definitely a big goal of Acura's,' said Blomqvist. 'So, we haven't given up there, having won the last two events. Obviously, only one of the team's cars gets points for that. I think ultimately that's probably what we're going to focus on more than the drivers' title. Let's see.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Porsche Says the 911 Turbo S Is Coming Soon and the Gas-Fed Macan Will Get a Successor in 2028
In its first-half earnings call, Porsche confirmed that a new will be shown later this year with a hybrid powertrain. The electric motor in the 911 GTS T-Hybrid is good for a continuous 54 horsepower, meaning the new Turbo S could come close to 700 hp. Porsche also said a new gas-powered compact SUV will arrive by 2028 as a successor to the outgoing . Porsche launched its electric Macan SUV last fall before introducing a refreshed version of its Taycan EV—which just won Car and Driver's EV of the Year award for 2025—this summer. But Porsche isn't abandoning its lineup of gas-powered cars, and in its first-half earnings report, the German automaker made two announcements about exciting upcoming internal-combustion vehicles: the updated 911 Turbo and a future fuel-sipping SUV that will replace the outgoing gas Macan SUV. A Potentially 700-HP Turbo S Porsche has already updated the majority of the expansive 911 lineup, including inserting a new hybrid powertrain into the GTS trim. Even the track-focused GT3 received some light tweaks for 2025, leaving the Turbo and Turbo S as the only models that carried over into 2025 unchanged. But on Porsche's earnings call, CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that the new Turbo S will be revealed later this year and will pack a hybrid powertrain of its own. We expect it to be joined by a non-S model too. The hybrid powertrain should make the new Turbo S even more rapid than before. The twin-turbocharged 3.7-liter flat-six in the current Turbo produces 572 horsepower, with the Turbo S upping the ante to 640 ponies. The T-Hybrid system in the GTS added an electric turbocharger and an electric motor that injects an extra 54 hp and 110 pound-feet of torque, bringing combined output to 532 hp. This means a hybridized Turbo S could be cranking out close to 700 hp. There will, however, likely be a weight penalty of roughly 100 pounds, if the GTS is any indication. A New Compact Crossover Although the gas-powered Macan, originally introduced way back in 2015, remains on sale for the time being in the United States, it is effectively being replaced by the Macan EV. Over in Europe, the internal-combustion Macan has already been pulled off the market due to regulatory reasons. But now Porsche has confirmed that its compact SUV will have a successor with a gas engine. Back in March, Porsche said it was considering a new gas-powered SUV, and now Blume has announced that this upcoming crossover will arrive in 2028. According to Blume, it will be differentiated from the Macan EV, and we think it could introduce a new nameplate. While 2028 doesn't give Porsche too much time to develop this new model, we expect it to ride on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) that underpins the new 2025 Audi Q5, allowing Porsche to get the SUV to market more quickly. This wouldn't be a surprise, since the current gas Macan shares its platform with the previous-generation Q5. The new Q5 uses a 268-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, while the SQ5 uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 362 hp. Both engines could find their way into the Macan successor. In the earnings call, Blume also confirmed that electric successors to the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are still coming but have been delayed. They will now go on sale after the Cayenne EV, which will be revealed later this year before sales start in 2026. This means the 718 EV will likely reach dealerships in 2027. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Joao Palhinha set for Tottenham medical as loan deal agreed with Bayern
Tottenham have agreed a deal with Bayern Munich to sign Joao Palhinha on loan with an option to buy. The former Fulham midfielder will undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a season-long who had interest from elsewhere, made his intention to join Spurs clear once he heard of their interest in him. Spurs will cover Palhinha's full wages and have an option to make the move more permanent next season, reportedly for £26million (€30m). Palhinha joined Bayern for an initial £43.2m fee last summer, representing a club-record player sale for Fulham. But the defensive midfielder made just six starts in the Bundesliga last season as it became clear he was not part of manager Vincent Kompany's plans. During two seasons with Fulham, who he joined for £17m, Palhinha became one of the Premier League's standout stars. In the 2023-24 season, he ranked top among all top-flight players for total tackles made, as well as for tackles made in the defensive third of the pitch and also in the middle third. Tottenham believe the Portuguse international's arrival will bolster their strength in central midfield ahead of their first season under new head coach Thomas Frank, who tasted victory in his first north London derby in Thursday's pre-season friendly victory over Arsenal in Hong Kong. Should the deal be completed swiftly, Palhinha could make his Spurs against his parent club, with Spurs and Bayern to meet in a friendly at the Allianz Arena next Thursday as England captain Harry Kane faces his former club.
