Hamilton feels' terrible' amid 'worst season ever' at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton described his debut campaign at Ferrari as "the worst season ever" after another disappointing weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion, who has been racing in Formula 1 since 2007, is set to finish a year without a Grand Prix podium finish for the first time; a major disappointment after his high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari.

He qualified dead last for the Las Vegas Grand Prix after posting the slowest time in a rain-hit Q1 on Saturday and he recovered to finish the race in 10th, a position which was upgraded to eighth after both McLarens were disqualified.

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But the points finish offered little solace to a disconsolate Hamilton.

"I feel terrible," he told Sky Sports F1 immediately after the race.

"It's been the worst season ever and no matter how much I try, it just keeps getting worse.

"I'm trying everything in and out of the car."

When questioned by reporters he later insisted he took "zero" satisfaction from the race and insisted there were "no" positives he could take.

Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc finished sixth - later upgraded to fourth following the McLaren verdict - and Hamilton was not even excited about the battle for second in the Constructors' Championship with Red Bull and Mercedes.

"I don't even know how many points we have, but at this rate, with my performance, we're done," he said.

'A terrible final few laps'

After becoming the first Ferrari driver to qualify last since 2009, Hamilton started the race on hard tyres and had climbed to 12th by the third lap.

But he pitted earlier than planned for medium tyres and struggled to manage his tyres for much of the race.

Sky Sports F1's Bernie Collins believes the tyre issues were the main reason for Hamilton's mood.

"It was always going to be a tough race from P19, but the Ferrari did look strong in the dry on Saturday," she said.

"He had a very good first stint on the hard tyre. They ran a very long stint and looked quite good and attempted to undercut Nico Hulkenberg - who Ferrari should easily be able to have the pace on - and the medium tyre just went from bad to worse.

"The initial laps on the medium were slow and Hulkenberg protected the undercut, so Hamilton was behind again.

"Then in the final stint on the medium he was dropping from Hulkenberg. Something has gone wrong on that medium stint for Lewis and Ferrari.

"That's why he's so deflated. He's got out of the car not challenging and had a terrible final few laps.

"That's his lasting memory of that race and something they need to look at urgently."

'A tough moment for his career'

Hamilton had finished fourth in the previous race in the USA in October, a position he has finished on four occasions this season, but he cannot finish in the top five of the drivers' standings after a series of poor results.

His former team-mate Jenson Button hopes that the recent downturn is a blip, but admitted this is one of the hardest spells in Hamilton's incredible career.

"I feel Lewis has carried himself really well this year," Button told Sky Sports F1.

"It's been a very difficult season for someone of his calibre. He's carried himself so well.

"It's the first time I feel we've really seen him seriously deflated.

"It gets to you. Mentally it's draining when you have a few bad races.

"It felt like it was on the up and this might be one bad race. It might be back for the next one - and I hope so.

"If he has a bad race he's very good at turning it around at the next one.

"It won't weigh on him after this weekend but it's a tough moment for his career right now."

F1's season-ending triple header continues with the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 this coming week. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime