While acknowledging that some responsibility does lie with the driver, the Italian engineer told NewsF1 that Ferrari could — and should — have done more to put better tools in Hamilton’s hands and meet him halfway.

"But a driver is like a machine when he’s in the car: you tell him what this thing is doing, and he isolates himself, gets on with it, and goes.”

Mazzola was also keen not to throw race engineer Riccardo Adami under the bus, with the Italian often finding himself in the media spotlight this year following a series of team radio exchanges with Hamilton that highlighted a lack of communicative chemistry between the two.

The seven-time world champion’s first season in Maranello was far from straightforward, hampered by a car with which the Briton never truly felt at ease — aside from a few fleeting flashes of class, such as pole position and victory in the Sprint in China, or his fourth-place finish at Silverstone.

The former Haas team principal believes Hamilton still has plenty left to give despite his age, provided Ferrari meet one fundamental requirement next year.