Sky Sports recently apologized after Lewis Hamilton used explicit language during a post-qualifying interview at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton, a seasoned Mercedes driver, finished in 18th place, missing out on advancing to Q2 after a mistake on his final Q1 run.
This marked his first Q1 exit in two years, a disappointing performance that led him to use frank language about the situation.
While speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton expressed his frustration, saying, “I just struggled, it is what it is.
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“This morning, George [Russell] and I had very similar cars but we are trying to experiment still and so I went one way by a long way and he went the other.
“Yeah, it didn’t work.
“18th is pretty bad. S**t happens.”
His candid remark prompted an on-air apology from Sky Sports commentator David Croft, who addressed the viewers shortly after the interview.
This event underscored a challenging season for Hamilton, which some are speculating to be his last with Mercedes.
During the broadcast, Nico Rosberg, providing pundit commentary alongside Croft, analyzed Hamilton’s performance harshly, labeling it as a ‘disaster’ and critiquing his decision-making during the critical lap.
Rosberg noted, “That is seriously painful.
You know the wind is coming from the back there at that part of the track.
He had a great lap until then.
It was really unnecessary to push the limit and as a seven-time world champion that is a mistake which should be unavoidable.”
He continued by pinpointing technical missteps, “It’s three metres too late and he had the brake balance too far forward.
” He lost at least four tenths which easily would have put him in Q2.
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“That’s a disaster.” Rosberg also expressed concern about Hamilton’s prospects for the race on Sunday, given the Mercedes’ poor race pace at the Shanghai International Circuit.
“That is a painful moment for him because the weekend is gone. With that car, you cannot get that far up anymore in the race, so it’s painful.”
This incident highlights the pressures and challenges even seasoned drivers face in Formula 1, underscoring the thin line between success and failure in the sport.