'Signs Hamilton is losing confidence’ - de la Rosa

Lewis Hamilton's troubled first year in red hit a fresh low at Spa, with the seven-time world champion knocked out in Q1 for both the sprint and main qualifying sessions—and openly admitting he needs to “look in the mirror.”

The Ferrari driver spun out of Sprint Qualifying and then lost his best lap in main qualifying to track limits, compounding a disastrous showing at one of his historically strongest circuits.

“One car delivers and I don’t,” Hamilton told Sky Italia. “I don’t take this lightly.

“I feel really sorry for the team and also for the people at the factory. It’s not acceptable. I’m trying to do better.

“It’s devastating for the team. Everyone is working so hard and bringing great upgrades here.”

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur tried to ease the criticism, denying any major pace gap—but admitted Hamilton is currently out of rhythm.

“It was a tough weekend to get everything set up and get comfortable in the car,” he explained. “We couldn’t do long stints in the only practice session.

“Hamilton just needs to be calm and put it all together. The speed is there, you could see it in the intermediate sectors, both yesterday and today.

“I think Hamilton is just lacking confidence at the moment.”

Much of the spotlight is on Ferrari’s new rear suspension, part of an update package that began with a new floor earlier in the month. There’s growing speculation the changes suit Charles Leclerc’s driving style more than Hamilton’s.

“With the new suspension, it’s a bit of a different car we have,” Vasseur said. “Even if you suffer a bit at the beginning, it’s ultimately good for the rest of the season.”

Leclerc, more at ease with the current setup, produced a solid qualifying lap. “I’m very happy for Charles,” said Vasseur. “He drove an excellent lap. We’re still trying to make progress with this new package.”

Leclerc himself is cautious about expectations. “Yes, it’s an upgrade and it’s a step in the right direction, but we are still speaking about very fine differences over a whole lap,” he told Canal Plus.

“Compared to McLaren, I think we are probably on average three or four tenths behind. I don’t think we’ll find those three or four tenths in that upgrade.”

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Hamilton is simply not connecting with the car. “My opinion is that this car isn’t his. It’s more Charles Leclerc’s.

“And Leclerc is more open, he’s younger. Lewis needs a certain consistency. He doesn’t like the new rear end quite as much.”

Pedro de la Rosa, speaking on DAZN, sees a deeper issue. “There are signs that he’s losing confidence,” said the Aston Martin ambassador, who previously worked closely with Hamilton.

“It’s hard when things are going wrong. For me, the important thing is not to lose confidence.”]]>