The Austrian team boss, speaking to Sky Sports in Las Vegas, pointed out that Hamilton, stepping into a completely different environment like Ferrari, has felt “like a fish out of water”.

He said: “I think you probably only realise when you’ve been in similar structures, like at British teams. McLaren, and then Mercedes, there is a kind of normality because you’re British and you’re operating in this environment.

The Brit, like his teammate, found himself at the center of a media storm after the Brazil GP following some strong comments from executive Elkann, who urged his drivers to “focus on driving more and talk less.”

The remarks caused quite a stir, and all eyes were on the seven-time world champion for a response during Las Vegas media day — a response that didn’t take long to arrive.

The seven-time world champion had a first day on track in Las Vegas that didn’t match his teammate’s performance, who topped FP1 and finished third in FP2.

Despite this, Hamilton said he was reasonably satisfied with the car’s behavior despite the cold and tricky conditions and didn’t want to make too many setup changes.