Herbert: Bearman steps up but Hamilton horrible to watch

Referencing Hamilton’s P8 finish in Mexico City, Herbert told AdventureGamers media team: “A mixed bag. It was good to see Lewis race with Max. I thought that was a great piece of racing. There was a little bit of wheel-banging, but that was the way racing should be. It was a late dive up the inside. Lewis probably wasn't expecting it.”

Hamilton showed stronger qualifying form at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, but it failed to translate into race-day performance. Herbert explained: “It was another frustrating weekend for him. It was a better qualifying. He seemed to be happier with the qualifying performance. But then in the race it didn't quite materialise. It just didn't click for him. It just seems to be an ongoing thing. It’s horrible to watch.”

While Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished second behind Lando Norris, Hamilton’s inconsistency remains a concern: “It’s an ongoing saga for him where Charles is still being very consistent and getting the job done.

“Lewis did say he was more comfortable with the car. So, let's see if there is progress in the remaining races. They want that. All Lewis fans will want that at the same time. It hasn't yet materialised," added Herbert.

Herbert also discussed Hamilton’s long-time rival Max Verstappen, after the pair again 'rubbed rubber' during an enthralling race: “There is a sheer brilliance that Max always shows. He's always able to pull out those unbelievable qualifying laps and then have an absolutely storming race and dominate it.

“But you still need the car underneath you to be able to do that. Is he always able to get that little something extra against his competitors? Then arguably, yes. That's always been the case with the greats of the sport. They've always been able to do something that people think is unbelievable,” Herbert added.

He believes Verstappen would still be a title contender in other teams: “That's where everybody goes, well, it's Max who's pulling more out of the car. There's a big element to that. If he was in a McLaren, would he be fighting for the championship? Absolutely.”

Turning to the standout rookie of the weekend, Herbert praised Ferrari-backed Ollie Bearman, who was voted Driver of the Day after an inspired performance for Haas. The Briton believes Bearman’s drive could serve as a “springboard” for a future top seat at Maranello should Hamilton retire or Charles Leclerc move on.

Herbert continued: “He got in the thick of things. On the first lap he was having a right old battle with Max and that was good to see. He got a couple of overtake moves as well going to turn one.”

“He was very racy throughout the weekend. He had the pace all the way through. He got a good start and got himself in a position where he could capitalise on it and get that result that he has more than earned,” Herbert explained.

The former Formula 1 driver also praised the family scenes after the race: “It was lovely seeing his Dad get so excited during the race and then after the race and even with Ollie as well with his girlfriend. It was a lovely scene at the end of it, lovely to see that closeness that they've got.”

Herbert suggests that Bearman’s maturity marks him as a future championship contender: “It was just a very mature race which is a good sign for us as F1 fans and also British F1 fans that we’ve got another driver that does seem to be developing in a very positive way .

"He's in a team, Haas, that enables him to breathe and support him in a way that it gets the very best out of it. I hope this result will be the springboard for him to jump to the next level.

"There's a very good chance of that because mentally he seems to have all the ingredients that he needs to be able to get himself in a position down the line to be ready for fighting for a championship, I honestly do," concluded Herbert, of the driver being prepped to step up into the Ferrari spotlight.