"No matter how much I try it keeps getting worse," says seven-time world champion, following disappointing Las Vegas race.

In the mayhem of the opening lap the Ferrari driver did well to weave his way through the various incidents and by the end of the lap had progressed from 19th to 12th. But that was about as good as it got.

Unable to make a move on Esteban Ocon the Briton only progressed though the field due to pit stops - which saw him run as high as fifth - but even so he was unable to make a move on the car ahead - in this case Hulkenberg.

At the flag he was tenth, but made up two places following the disqualification of the McLaren pair.

Speaking to the media, not for the first time this season, he was unable to hide his feelings.

"Terrible," he replied, when asked how he felt about his race. "It's been the worst season ever," he added. "No matter how much I try it keeps getting worse.

Asked what he was doing to turn things around, he replied: "I'm trying everything... in and out of the car."

Subsequently, asked if there was anything he could take away from the race, he said: "Zero! I made up ten places but it doesn't mean anything. It is still a bad weekend."

Asked if Ferrari can still leapfrog Red Bull in the standings - essentially a one car team, as Toto Wolff described it - Hamilton said: "I don't know how many points we have. But at this rate, with my performance, we don't...

"I have had 22 bad weekends, so I anticipate another couple."

His comments come a week after Ferrari chairman, John Elkann hit out at him and teammate Charles Leclerc, and on the same day that the Daily Mail published an article advising the "delusional" driver to retire.

Though much emphasis is being placed on a potential revival in 2026, one can't help but feel that the seven-time world champion is wilting under the pressure.

However, team boss, Fred Vasseur was quick to lay down Hamilton's comments.

"You know perfectly the system," he said, according to Motorsport Week. "The TV pen, five minutes after the race, when you have a tough race, it's very harsh for them.

"I can perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion" he continued, "and to have a comment a bit harsh at this stage of the weekend... I would say that it's normal.

"I don't know if normal is the right word," he added, "but I prefer to have drivers being very open at the end of the race when you didn't do the perfect job, when the car was not good.

"To say, 'OK, I'm frustrated', and someone going to the TV pen saying, 'I know, guys, the team is perfect, the car is good, blah, blah, blah'. In this case, you would be upset.

"You can't blame them in any circumstances," he insisted, "and I think it's quite normal as a human, sometimes on the radio or just after the session, to be a bit, not upset, but to be a bit on the emotion.

"Now the most important is not what they say on the TV pen, it's what they do on the Monday morning with the team to try to do better and to try to push the team to do better. This is more the job of the drivers than the TV pen.

"It's true that on the mathematical side the last couple of weekends were very difficult with Brazil DNF, Mexico the penalty, and this one," he said of Hamilton. "But overall I think Mexico, Austin, it was probably also the best weekend of Lewis in terms of pure performance.

"But now it's true for the team also and we didn't put everything together the last two hours of the weekend and it's why on the mathematical side and on the championship we did a huge step down.

"But in terms of pure performance I think it's also why we are not in so bad shape compared to the mid-season.

"I can understand the reaction from Lewis just after the race, but we just have to calm down, to discuss and to be focused on the next two, because the next two we will be back.

"Keep in mind also that Lewis was there in FP1, in FP3 with the pace was good and we have to build up the weekend like this and to start from P20 is not the best way to have a good result.

"Today it's difficult, but if you have a look on the last couple of races that we are speaking about, Mexico it's a matter of a penalty that he was able to be on the podium.

"I don't think that we have to change completely, it's a matter more to put everything together and I think we are struggling to have a clean weekend. It's either the penalty or contact with Colapinto or the qualifying yesterday, it's not pure performance, not only pure performance.

"For sure we have to improve on performance, this is clear," he continued, "but it's more the way you build up the weekend and how you do the expectations and the track preparation."

Asked if he feels Hamilton's pride has been hurt by his failure to live up to his own expectations, Vasseur said: "Yes! I think you can understand that it's normal that Lewis is not happy with P10 in Vegas and Ferrari is not happy with P10 in Vegas and Ferrari is not happy with P6 in Vegas.

"But now the reaction is to work together to try to do a better job next week and it's the life of the team. If you remember, Max was P11 in Budapest and it was not the absolute drama.

"We need to keep this approach and to come back again and again and to try to push again and again and to try to do a better job. The frustration is normal. I would be worried if we didn't have this kind of frustration when we are doing P10."