Lewis Hamilton dealt painful 'handicap' message

Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux has dealt Lewis Hamilton a painful message, outling his age is a "handicap" for his F1 abilities. 

The seven-time world champion has struggled in his opening campaign for Ferrari, with a podium finish yet to be clinched in red. 

He did claim sprint victory in China and has shown strong race pace at times; however, he sits sixth in the F1 drivers' title. 

Hamilton finds himself 25 points behind Charles Leclerc, who has claimed podiums this year in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and Spain.

Despite Ferrari's issues with the SF-25, Leclerc has been able to compete for the lead places on odd occasions, leading Arnoux to praise the Monegasque's recent driving.

"Leclerc always drives past the problems, he even spits blood to go fast," Arnoux told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

"I thought he was very good in Monaco, he tried very hard there to force Norris into a mistake. But Lando was just very good there too."

Leclerc has often found himself ahead of Hamilton this year, with the 40-year-old insisting that 2025 is for him to adjust to how the Italain squad operates. 

Arnoux recognises that the Briton is working hard; however, he is adamant that his age is holding him back now.

"Hamilton is trying very hard, but his age is just a handicap," insisted Arnoux. "At 40, it is incredibly difficult to put in the athletic effort that these cars require. 

"To keep up the pace, he needs a car that is significantly faster than anyone else's, and that's just not the case."