04-05-2025
‘Have a tea break while you're at it': Lewis Hamilton hits out at Ferrari during Miami GP
Lewis Hamilton's frustration at the way his debut season at Ferrari is panning out appears to be taking a toll as he hit out at his team repeatedly during Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion even told his pitwall sarcastically at one point that they should 'have a tea break while they're at it' after feeling that they had taken too long in ordering Charles Leclerc to make way for him.
Hamilton, who had qualified 12th, had fought back to challenge his team-mate for seventh place. But having moved aside for the Monegasque earlier this season in China, when Leclerc had the better race pace, Hamilton was angry that Ferrari and Leclerc did not immediately return the favour.
By lap 37 of 58, Hamilton was telling his pitwall that he was 'burning up' his tyres behind Leclerc, clearly suggesting that they should tell Leclerc to let him through. 'In China I let him through,' he noted. 'Do you want me to just sit here the whole race? This is not good teamwork, that's all I'm going to say.'
🎙️| Lewis Hamilton: "I'm sure people didn't like certain comments."
"You gotta understand it's frustrating... People say way worse things than I say."
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) May 4, 2025
Leclerc was finally ordered to make way, but Hamilton was still unimpressed. 'Have a tea break while you're at it,' he said.
Hamilton was unable to make use of the clean air, however, with Leclerc then sitting in his dirty air for the next few laps. With both of them beginning to reel in sixth-placed Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes, Leclerc suggested that he might have a better chance if he was let past.
'Are we coming back at Antonelli?' Leclerc asked. 'We are but slowly,' he was told. 'How much faster could you go in free air?' 'I have no idea,' Leclerc said. 'I'm now overheating.'
Finally, Hamilton was ordered aside again, and was clearly unhappy about it. Told by his pitwall that Williams' Carlos Sainz was only 1.4 seconds behind, he responded sarcastically again: 'You want me to let him past as well?'
It was all a far cry from their experience earlier in the day, when Hamilton allowed Leclerc to drive him around the circuit in a scale-model Lego car during the parade lap. The two of them had a great time. 'That was the most fun driving experience we've probably ever had,' Hamilton said afterwards. 'Some dirty driving from this one here.'
Lewis Hamilton posted the drivers parade on Tiktok😂
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) May 4, 2025
