Lewis Hamilton Lambasts Ferrari's Recent Changes; Calls It A 'Waste Of Money'

Formula One’s stricter front wing flex tests have proven ineffective, with the money spent on modifications better allocated to charity, said Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on Saturday.

The rule change, eagerly anticipated for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, was expected by some to slow down the leading McLaren team.

However, McLaren dominated the front row at the Circuit de Catalunya, with championship leader Oscar Piastri securing pole position and his closest rival Lando Norris showing even greater dominance.

“It hasn’t made a difference," stated seven-time world champion Hamilton, who qualified fifth and aimed for a podium finish.

“It’s been a waste of money. Everyone’s wings still bend, just to a lesser degree. Teams had to create new wings and spend more money for this," added the Briton. “It doesn’t make sense… I would have given that money to charity."

McLaren boss Andrea Stella commented that his team, leading the constructors’ standings after six wins from eight of 24 rounds, always viewed the ‘game-changer’ discussions as exaggerated.

“The technical directive was a significant talking point but ultimately insignificant. The impact was always going to be minor based on the numbers," the Italian told Sky Sports television.

“It’s entertaining to have these debates, but our simulations indicated the effect would be minimal. We weren’t worried from this perspective."