Another critical Lewis Hamilton radio conversation missed by the TV broadcast has emerged after the . The seven-time champ finished in a disappointing eighth place, having trouble overtaking slower opposition such as in the and narrowly leading the of over the finish line.

Even within the team, friction arose when found himself delayed by his team-mate , who was struggling on worn tyres. Eventually, he was allowed to pass, but without gaining traction, they reversed roles once more before the race ended.

ended up taking the headlines due to his blunt criticism of Ferrari. One particularly sarcastic message saw the Brit ask if he should allow Sainz to pass him too, after he had been told to give the place back to team-mate Leclerc.

But another crucial exchange came much earlier, on lap 26 of the race. In conversation with race engineer Riccardo Adami, which was missed by the broadcast, Hamilton expressed his bewilderment at the car's performance.

"How is this pace? I can't really go any quicker," he asked. And to that Adami pointed out that his speed was slightly better than Leclerc's as he said: "Now it's 32.6, and Charles 32.7."

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Yet, Hamilton remained dissatisfied, noting "My tyres are pretty poor. In general, a little bit of understeer here, but I don't know what to say." reports .

It was later, with a touch of irony, Hamilton suggested his team might as well enjoy a "tea break" while deciding whether to switch places with Leclerc again. Despite the tension, , attributing them to his desire to compete at the top.

"I've still got my fire in my belly, I could feel a bit of it really coming up there," Hamilton said. "I'm not going to apologise for being a fighter. I'm not going to apologise for still wanting it. I know everyone in the team does, too.

"I didn't think the decision came quick enough. And for sure, in that time you're like, 'Come on!', but that's really kind of it. I have no problems with the team or with Charles. I think we could do better, but the car is not where we really need to be. Ultimately, we're fighting for seventh and eighth."

After the race, Hamilton downplayed his radio outbursts, mentioning that Ferrari team principal visited him. "Fred came to my room," he said. "I just put my hand on his shoulder and told him, 'Dude, calm down, don't be so sensitive'. I could have said way worse things on the radio.

"You hear some of the things other people have said in the past. Some of it was sarcasm. You've got to understand, we're under a huge amount of pressure. You're never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of the battle."