F1: Lewis Hamilton called 'spoiled little boy' amid Mercedes struggles in 2023

A former F1 team boss has slammed Lewis Hamilton, calling him a "spoiled little boy" amid the Brit's struggles in the ongoing 2023 season.

Joan Villadelprat, who worked for McLaren and Ferrari among other teams in his long F1 career, also called Hamilton a "whiner" amid Mercedes' problems this year. Mercedes have carried their struggles from the last campaign into the current one, and they are 67 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors' table after just three races.

"Hamilton not same as his 1st or 2nd championship"

Speaking to the Spanish publication El Confidencial, Villadelprat said he is unimpressed by Hamilton's attitude.

"Hamilton is fed up and, if he doesn't win, he's like a spoiled little boy. He's a whiner, you know? The tyres, the strategy – he questions everything and he has screwed up. When you have a [team-mate] who is faster than you, it is normal to be quiet and put your head under your wing," Villadelprat said.

Mercedes' younger driver, George Russell, has out-qualified his decorated teammate Hamilton in all three races so far this year. Russell even led the early stages of the Australian Grand Prix but was forced to retire from the race due to an engine failure.

Villadelprat, former team manager of Benetton, also stated that he was surprised how well Russell has been doing this season before adding Hamilton has not lost his talent. However, he questioned the seven-time champion's motivation.

"I think he hasn't lost but, after seven titles... What motivates you? Well, win another. And you're not going to risk your skin if you don't have that car. What is evident is that Hamilton is not the same as his first or second championship," added Villadelprat.

"Alonso had the potential to be ahead of Hamilton"

Meanwhile, Villadelprat hailed his compatriot Fernando Alonso, who is experiencing a revival of his F1 career with Aston Martin this year. Two-time champion Alonso finished on the podium in all three races this year: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, and is currently in third place in the drivers' title race with 45 points, seven more than his old McLaren teammate Hamilton.

"One has won seven, and the other two, and Fernando knows that he could have won more, that he has the potential to be ahead of Hamilton. Except that Fernando's choices were not correct and Hamilton was right. But the desire that Fernando has... The best of all is that now people – Formula 1, and other drivers – they recognise him as a phenomenon," said Villadelprat.

Hamilton is being advised by many to switch his team from Mercedes, with the latest opinion coming from former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, who believes the Brit racer should join Ferrari.

After leaving McLaren in 2012, Hamilton joined Mercedes, where he has tasted massive success, including winning six drivers' titles. However, over the last year and a half, Hamilton has seen a major drop in his career, especially after failing to win a single race in 2022 – his first-ever winless season.

With Red Bull driver Max Verstappen now dominating F1, Jordan believes it is time for Hamilton to move on from Mercedes, considering he is losing time to win a record eighth world title.

"There's only one place he could go to in my opinion and that is Ferrari. A guy with the talent that he is, and I think it might be a [match made] in heaven. I think Ferrari need shaking up and I think Lewis Hamilton needs shaking up, if they are going to continue," Jordan, who was in charge of the Jordan team between 1991 and 2005, told The Express.

Hamilton's current deal at Mercedes is due to expire at the end of the year. The Brit superstar holds the record for the most wins (103), pole positions (103) and podium finishes (192) in F1. Only Michael Schumacher has won as many world titles – 7.