Lewis Hamilton has achieved an unwelcome milestone at Ferrari, becoming the driver with the most grand prix starts for the Italian team without achieving a podium finish.
The seven-time world champion has now competed in 15 races wearing red without securing a top-three result, surpassing Ivan Capelli's previous mark of 14 races.
The British driver's struggles have placed him sixth in the drivers' championship, consistently trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc throughout his debut season with the Scuderia.
Another concerning statistic looms for Hamilton: Didier Pironi holds the record for the longest wait before claiming a maiden Ferrari podium at 19 races.
Lewis Hamilton has achieved an unwelcome milestone at Ferrari, becoming the driver with the most grand prix starts for the Italian team without achieving a podium finish
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Should Hamilton fail to reach the podium in the next four grands prix, he will claim this unfortunate accolade as well.
Hamilton's latest setback occurred at the Dutch Grand Prix when he lost control on lap 23, sliding into the barriers after encountering the slippery painted surface outside turn three.
The incident compounded what team principal Fred Vasseur described as one of Ferrari's worst Friday practice sessions in recent memory, during which Hamilton spun twice.
Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend as he lost control on lap 23
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Adding to his woes, stewards imposed a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix after Hamilton failed to reduce speed appropriately for yellow flags during his reconnaissance lap.
The 40-year-old has found the transition from Mercedes particularly challenging, struggling to adapt to Ferrari's design philosophy and operational structure.
His difficulties mirror those of other drivers switching teams in the current ground-effect era, though expectations remain higher given Hamilton's exceptional career achievements.
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The seven-time champion also received a five-place grid penalty after he failed to slow down adequately through double yellow flag zones
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Despite the mounting difficulties, Hamilton acknowledged the intense scrutiny surrounding his Ferrari debut at the team's home circuit this weekend.
"There's obviously a huge amount of pressure on us as a team, more so for me now," the British driver conceded following his Zandvoort retirement.
"I haven't had a good season."
Nevertheless, Hamilton maintained a positive outlook about his progress with the Italian outfit.
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“I haven’t had a good season. Next week, we’ll just try to absorb all the energy from the fans.
"I'm fine, I feel fine mentally, I've felt lots of positives," he stated, defiantly.
"I felt I was making progress, I was catching the car ahead. It’s tough to have a result like that but I’ve been racing for so long I’ve had God knows how many races and you can probably count on one hand that sort of incident.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur remains supportive of his struggling driver, noting Hamilton's improved mindset despite the disappointing outcome at Zandvoort.
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The 40-year-old claims he has felt 'lots of positives' despite his disappointing campaign
|GETTY
"We discussed after the race he was much more positive than the last four or five events," Vasseur revealed.
"To enjoy it, it's largely a matter of results, confidence, pace and the fact that you are in the game," he explained.
Ferrari currently holds second place in the constructors' championship, maintaining a slender 12-point advantage over Mercedes in an increasingly tight battle.
The weekend proved costly for the Italian team overall, with Charles Leclerc also retiring after contact with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on lap 53.