Martin Brundle perfectly sums up what’s so ‘tough’ about listening to Lewis Hamilton right now

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from 16th on the grid, which is significant when discussing a title decider at the Yas Marina circuit.

The last time a drivers’ championship was decided at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the driver who started P16 played a crucial role in how the race ended.

That day, it was Nicholas Latifi, whose late crash brought out the safety car that led to Max Verstappen’s controversial first title win over Lewis Hamilton.

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This time around, Hamilton will be doing everything possible to avoid a similar situation, although he’s already found the barriers once with his Ferrari this weekend.

Nico Rosberg admitted Hamilton was making mistakes he had never seen before, and with Charles Leclerc set to start Sunday’s race in fifth, the gulf between the two drivers will start to worry team principal Fred Vasseur.

Hamilton apologised for his Q1 exit in Abu Dhabi, and commentators David Croft and Martin Brundle summed up the feelings of many fans perfectly when they reacted to his post-session interview.

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Martin Brundle says Lewis Hamilton practice crash didn’t help Abu Dhabi GP qualifying hopes

Hamilton was asked about the changes he made overnight before qualifying to get a better balance and whether they helped him. He said to Sky Sports F1 (6/12 2:49 pm): “Yeah, we made lots of changes to the car, and the car felt great today.”

Journalist Rachel Brookes then said: “So when you said on the radio, ‘the same thing again’, are you referring to your performance in qualifying?”

“You don’t know why, it’s just, you can’t find it at the moment, that skill you’ve been known for?”

Hamilton simply nodded twice and didn’t give any other answer, and Brundle continued: “I think Rachel does very well with those interviews. That’s a tough gig.”

Croft replied: “Thank you to Lewis for the honest answers there, as well. It’s hard to talk about Martin when you are a seven-time world champion with 104 poles, and you know your speed wasn’t there tonight; it was coming from you.

“It’s a hard way to talk about.”

Brundle concluded: “It wouldn’t help throwing the thing in the hedge earlier on because cars have to get put back together, slightly hurriedly in terms of the perfect set-up, get them on the flat patch and just getting everything absolutely… You just don’t have the luxury of finely setting the car up when it’s got to be put back together again.”

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Hamilton has had to deny claims that he will walk away from F1 at the end of the year, which highlights just how poor his first campaign with Ferrari has been.

Vasseur expected the seven-time world champion to adapt far more quickly to joining Ferrari than he has, but he hasn’t been helped by the car’s lack of performance this season.

Leclerc has been equally critical of the SF-25 and admitted during qualifying that he didn’t think he had done enough to reach Q3.

The Monegasque driver’s third-row start, 11 places ahead of Hamilton, highlights the small advantage he’s garnered over his more experienced teammate that’s continued throughout most of 2025.

Ferrari are already planning changes to Hamilton’s 2026 car, and all eyes are on how he adapts to the new regulations being introduced by the sport.

The driver market is expected to burst into life next year, and if Hamilton doesn’t get on with Ferrari’s next car, then a seat at the Scuderia could open up in 2027.