Lewis Hamilton statement after Las Vegas Grand Prix blow shows he’s listened to John Elkann

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Lewis Hamilton hit a new low in Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying as he set the slowest time of all. He’s the first Ferrari driver to do so since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2009.

Hamilton had time for another lap at the end of the session, but he thought he’d already taken the chequered flag. He then backed off, confirming P20.

But even without that error, which may have stemmed from miscommunication, it’s unclear if Hamilton would have made it through. The rate of improvement was high, but he still needed to find well over two seconds.

Hamilton’s second Q1 exit of the year comes after Ferrari chairman John Elkann questioned the focus of his drivers and told them to ‘talk less’.

Lewis Hamilton vows to ‘stay positive’ after Q1 exit at Las Vegas Grand Prix

After retiring from the Sao Paulo GP last time out with damage, Hamilton described his season as a ‘nightmare’. This widely-publicised remark may have been at the forefront of Elkann’s mind.

It’s noteworthy, then, that Hamilton took a different tone after qualifying. When Canal+ reminded him of his comments in Brazil, he said it was important to remain optimistic.

“Just try and stay positive,” he said. “And [I’m] not going to k— myself over this, you know. It’s a horrible feeling but…”

One could argue that Hamilton’s tendency to catastrophise has increased the pressure on Ferrari this season and only caused further damage to team morale.

But Ferrari’s biggest problem is their car, and Charles Leclerc proved this once again by qualifying ninth in Vegas, nowhere near the fight for pole position.

Why John Elkann’s gamble at Ferrari was never going to pay off

Ferrari say Elkann was trying to motivate the team with his interview after Brazil. He rarely comments on their performances, and certainly not in such terms.

Hamilton and Leclerc both defended Elkann during their Thursday media duties, though there’s a strong suspicion that they were instructed to do so by Ferrari’s PR department.

Whether or not the drivers were being sincere, it seems the gambit hasn’t paid off. The weekend isn’t over but Ferrari’s hopes of P2 in the constructors’ could be about to fall away completely.

Even if Elkann did get through to Hamilton and Leclerc, there’s a hard limit to what they can achieve in the SF-25, particularly in wet conditions.