Max Verstappen has given his honest verdict about Lewis Hamilton's struggle in his first year with Ferrari.
Hamilton's maiden campaign with the Scuderia has been a difficult one, with him currently ranked sixth in the drivers' standings with 117 points.
The seven-time world champion's only significant highlight has been his sprint race victory in Shanghai, having failed to make the podium in a full Grand Prix.
While teammate Charles Leclerc had also faced a fair share of struggles with the team car but he has managed to secure four top-three finishes and a pole position.
Prior to taking his third win of the season in Italy, Verstappen was asked about his 2021 title rival's first year so far at Maranello, admitting the complexity of the car might not be a true reflection of Hamilton's ability.
Explaining that he's not aware of what is going on with the team, the dutch driver added, "The thing is, he joined a team that already has a very strong driver with Charles [Leclerc], so it's never going to be easy to immediately go in there and start beating your teammate who is well integrated, knows the team very well, speaks the language."
"But these cars can be quite complicated at times to fully understand why you're quick or not, basically."
Hamilton appeared in a brighter mood at Monza, having secured sixth place after a fine drive, starting 10th after serving a grid penalty.
He was also treated to his first real taste of partisan support, having appeared before a crowd of gathering tifosi in Milan a few days before.
Max Verstappen rejects any possibility of joining Ferrari in the future
Verstappen also acknowledged that there is a great deal of emotional attraction with being a Ferrari driver but said he would not choose to ever drive for the team, if offered, for just that reason.
"I think Ferrari is a massive brand," he said. "All the drivers, they see and they picture themselves there. 'I would like to drive for Ferrari.'"
Max Verstappen shared that a driver should not let themselves be guided "because of the emotions and passion of a brand," but rather because it feels right and they see a potential to win.