Lewis Hamilton endures slow, difficult race at Spanish Grand Prix despite outqualifying Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton faced a challenging and slow race at the Spanish Grand Prix despite outqualifying his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc for only the second time this season. Both drivers struggled with car issues during the closing stages at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed Hamilton experienced a problem in the final stint but declined to specify the exact issue. Meanwhile, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff mentioned oil leaking from Leclerc's car late in the race, though Vasseur was unsure of this claim.

"It’s the worst race I’ve experienced," Hamilton admitted, highlighting the severity of his difficulties.

Nico Rosberg, 2016 World Champion and Sky F1 pundit, described Hamilton's situation at Ferrari as "a very dark situation," emphasizing the driver's struggles.

Hamilton's unusually slow pace was noted by commentators, with one stating, "Sunday was a horrible day for him because he was just slow out there, which is very unusual."

The race underscored ongoing reliability and performance challenges for both Ferrari and Mercedes, with both drivers nursing their cars to the finish. Hamilton's performance contrasted sharply with his qualifying success, marking a difficult weekend at Barcelona.

This difficult outing adds pressure on Hamilton and Ferrari as they seek to improve competitiveness and reliability in the championship fight.

Lewis Hamilton outqualified Charles Leclerc at the Spanish Grand Prix but endured a difficult race plagued by car issues. Hamilton described it as "the worst race I’ve experienced," while team principals and pundits noted problems with both drivers’ cars during the closing stages at Barcelona.