Hamilton claims Dutch GP radio outbursts weren’t “the best version of me”

Lewis Hamilton says his Dutch Grand Prix frustration “wasn’t the best version of me” as he apologised to his Ferrari Formula 1 team for it boiling over on team radio.

During the second half of the race, Hamilton grew increasingly frustrated at the lack of strategy updates from Ferrari, especially once he got stuck behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was slower than the Briton on older tyres.

“Great way of wasting time guys, good job,” a sarcastic Hamilton fired over on the airwaves once Leclerc finally pitted on lap 43.

After the race, Hamilton said Ferrari still had steps to make on race weekend execution, pointing to Mercedes’ much slicker swap between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as a source of inspiration.

But for Ferrari, the picture was a little bit more complicated than that, as the team was planning to pit Leclerc earlier but had to extend his stint for another lap to avoid traffic.

At the same time, the plan for Hamilton was to stay on track until the end of the race, but team principal Fred Vasseur explained Ferrari didn’t want to alert its rivals to its strategy, so it decided not to communicate it straight away.

Taking to social media, Hamilton has now apologised to his team for his heated radio exchanges.

“I’ve listened back to some of my radio and TV comments. In the heat of the moment frustration can come out, especially when you care as deeply as I do,” Hamilton wrote. “But that wasn’t the best version of me. I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better.

“That passion comes from believing in this team, the people in it, and what we’re building together. The direction is clear. The belief is there. And the fight is absolutely still on.”

Hamilton was buoyed by Ferrari’s recent progress as its relentless car upgrade programme has allowed both him and Leclerc to win a grand prix, with Hamilton holding third in the drivers’ championship on equal points with second-placed Russell.

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone back at the factory who continues to bring updates, find performance and push us forward,” the seven-time world champion added.

“To the team at the track, thank you. The commitment and effort never go unnoticed. We still have work to do, particularly over one lap, but we’ll keep digging in, learning and improving together.”

Eventually, a late virtual safety car helped Mercedes’ Russell defend third place, with both Hamilton and Leclerc stranding off the podium in fourth and fifth.

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– The Autosport.com Team