Lewis Hamilton's post-race interview after the Spanish Grand Prix has been branded "hard to watch" by a former Mercedes teammate following the British driver's struggles in Barcelona.
Nico Rosberg explained the seven-time world champion's difficulties on the track were particularly "unusual" to witness.
"It's hard to watch," Rosberg admitted whilst speaking on Sky after the race.
"Today was a horrible day for him because he was just slow out there, which is very unusual."
Rosberg noted that Hamilton's race performance was "shockingly bad" and highlighted the driver's lack of answers about his pace problems.
Lewis Hamilton seemed to concede the problem was him, as opposed to the carGettyHamilton had shown promise during qualifying, securing fifth place on the grid and starting two places ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Before the race, he expressed his ambition to secure his first Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver.
However, the qualifying result turned out to be the highlight of his weekend.
Hamilton struggled for pace throughout the 66 laps around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with his performance falling well short of expectations.
JUST IN: Crystal Palace face elimination from Europa League just weeks after qualifying
Rosberg questioned whether Hamilton might have suffered floor damage, noting that "these floors are so sensitive and there can be a little bit there and you can lose a lot of time".
Hamilton appeared downcast after the race and made it clear he was not in the mood for a detailed discussion about his difficulties.
READ MORE: Jack Draper gives heartbreaking reflection of fourth round defeat: 'I'm hurt'
Nico Rosberg was teammates with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
Getty"It was just not a great day," he confessed to Sky Sports after the race.
"Strategy was good, the team did a great job."
When pressed for more details, Hamilton shut down further conversation.
"I just had a really bad day and I've got nothing to say. It was a difficult day, there's nothing else to add to it, it's terrible," the British driver said.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
When interviewer Rachel Brookes expressed hope that Ferrari would resolve his issues, Hamilton took personal responsibility, responding: "I'm sure they won't, it's probably just me."
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the Scuderia. Ferrari found reason to celebrate as Charles Leclerc made significant strides forward from his seventh-place starting position.
Charles Leclerc was able to find pace in the Ferrari that Lewis Hamilton could not
GettyHis tactical gamble on tyre conservation paid off handsomely, taking him to his third podium finish of the season in third place.
The contrast between the Ferrari teammates' fortunes was stark, with Leclerc's success highlighting Hamilton's struggles.
Rosberg noted the difficult situation this created for Hamilton: "And then you see your teammate racing up all the way to third place and being on the podium.
"In light of the whole season he's had so far, it's a really dark situation."
Most Read
