'Monaco showed: Hamilton can't handle the frustration of losing anymore'

F1 News

24 May 2021 at 18:47
Last update 24 May 2021 at 20:10
  • GPblog.com

If Lewis Hamilton wants to keep a clear head in the title fight with Max Verstappen, he needs to start getting used to the frustration of losing again, Formula One general manager Ross Brawn argues.

"Lewis was clearly agitated with the way his weekend was going in Monaco", Brawn begins the analysis in his usual column on the official website of Formula 1. "That frustration boiled over in the race, when he was unhappy with how his strategy was playing out."

Brawn continued: "He’s a fierce competitor, so it should be expected that he will get frustrated when things don’t go his way." The general manager believes Hamilton's frustration boiled over so much because the driver is no longer used to dealing with stiff competition: "He has rarely had to experience this, so he’s a bit out of practice in handling these things."

Dent in relationship?

Despite this, Brawn does not foresee the Silver Arrows' gaffe in Monaco doing permanent damage to the relationship between the team and the seven-time world champion. Brawn: "Mercedes and Lewis have been together for a long time – and know each other well – so they will get over it. It won’t be an issue."