Frustrated Lewis Hamilton offers apology off camera to journalist after short interview. After finishing sixth in Barcelona, a visibly frustrated Lewis Hamilton gave a terse interview to Sky UK.

Lewis downcast
As reported after the race at the 4.657-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Sunday, Lewis Hamilton was quite dejected after finishing in sixth place, to the point of responding to waiting journalists almost in monosyllables during the usual post-race interviews. In particular, the exchange with Sky UK journalist Rachel Brookes was rather telling, and here it is again:

Rachel Brookes: “Hi Lewis, after the race you said ‘there was something wrong with this car.’ Can you tell us what you were referring to?”
Lewis Hamilton: “Not particularly, it wasn’t a great day. Just not a great day.”
RB: “And in terms of strategy?”
LH: “The strategy was good, the team did a great job. That’s it.”
RB: “I hate seeing you like this, it’s hard to see you in this mood…”
LH: “What do you want me to say? I’ve just had a bad day and I have nothing to say. It was a tough day and there’s nothing else to add. It was terrible. It makes no sense to explain, it’s not your fault, I just don’t know what else to say.”
RB: “I understand, I hope they can find some answers for you.”
LH: “I’m sure they won’t. It’s probably just my fault.”

Behind the scenes
The incident caught the attention of the British press, so much so that well-known journalist David Croft dedicated a segment of his podcast The Fast and The Curious to Lewis Hamilton’s interviews, revealing a behind-the-scenes moment that occurred at the end of the conversation between the Ferrari driver and Rachel Brookes:

“He was really down, and no one likes to see him like that. Because in the end, whether you’re a fan or not, Lewis Hamilton is the greatest racing driver we’ve ever seen. Statistically, he’s the greatest, but I think he is even without the stats. He speaks with his heart on his sleeve, and he should be applauded for that, because he does a lot of good when he speaks that way. He apologized to Rachel Brookes for being so down. Off camera, he said: ‘I’m really sorry, I’m just very down.’ And that shows you how truly upset he was—he wasn’t faking it for the cameras, believe me.”