Hamilton battles confidence crisis

LEWIS Hamilton is in the midst of a crisis of confidence and results that the Formula One icon has never known in his storied career, as Ferrari's fans hope for a sharp turnaround at the Italian Grand Prix.

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Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton's arrival at Maranello made Ferrari's vociferous support dream of an end to an 18-year wait for a world title to be won by a driver in red.

Instead, the 40-year-old trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by a whopping 200 points after a disastrous campaign with Ferrari which has not brought him any GP wins, nor even a single podium finish.

Last weekend's Dutch GP was the lowest point of the year for the Scuderia, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc crashing out of a race which had been preceded by the Briton twice spinning his car in practice.