Lewis Hamilton admitted his Ferrari debut “went a lot worse” than he had anticipated after the seven-time world champion completed tenth within the Australian Grand Prix.
Following his blockbuster swap to Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, Hamilton endured a tricky weekend in Melbourne as he certified eighth earlier than claiming the ultimate level in Sunday’s chaotic race.
The 40-year-old Brit was left annoyed at a missed alternative as Ferrari pushed a technique gamble too far, with a choice to remain out on slick tyres within the rain first placing Hamilton in podium rivalry earlier than leaving him combating for a factors end.
“It was very tricky and went a lot worse than I thought it would go,” Hamilton instructed Sky Sports activities F1. “The car was really, really hard to drive today.
“For me, I am simply grateful I stored it out of the wall as a result of that is the place it wished to go more often than not.
“Rather a lot to take from it and simply getting acclimatised with the brand new energy unit within the moist situations.
“The settings it requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel.”
Hamilton had struggled to make progress from eighth as he remained caught behind the Williams of Alex Albon in a race that started within the moist with the sector on intermediate tyres, earlier than one other late downpour created a dramatic finale.
With these nonetheless within the race having switched to slick tyres 10 laps earlier, the downpour noticed chief – and eventual race winner – Lando Norris virtually go off observe and instantly come into the pits for one more set of intermediates. His team-mate Oscar Piastri spun off from second.
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Lewis Hamilton embraces his introduction to Ferrari as he leaves Brackley for Maranello.
Many of the front-runners pitted however Hamilton, who had simply gone previous his team-mate Charles Leclerc after the Monegasque spun, stayed out behind Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, with Leclerc additionally persevering with behind him.
With Hamilton doing a great job of navigating the treacherous situations, the choice to remain out appeared to have improved his prospects.
Nonetheless, with the rain getting heavier, Ferrari did not observe within the footsteps of Crimson Bull, who pitted Verstappen two laps after Norris, which maintained his place behind the chief.
Liam Lawson crashed his Crimson Bull to set off a Security Automobile, however even with the tempo slowed, Ferrari acknowledged their error and pitted each Hamilton and Leclerc from the result in forestall what would have been an inevitable incident from occurring.
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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz displays on all the massive speaking factors from the Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was handed by Leclerc and the recovering Piastri within the closing levels, both facet of gaining a spot by overtaking Pierre Gasly, which meant he completed tenth.
“I hung out as long as I could, got in the lead at one point,” Hamilton mentioned.
“Just the guidance with how much more rain was coming, was missing there, so I think we missed out.
“We tried to however the data I bought was it will be a brief bathe, actual fast. On the time, it was solely on the final nook so to me I believed ‘the remainder of the observe was dry, I can maintain this on observe if that is all that is coming’, then extra got here.”
Hamilton confident of improving radio communication
The lack of clarity over the incoming weather was part of a wider struggle Hamilton endured communicating with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami.
Hamilton repeatedly asked Adami to “depart him to it”, or mentioned phrases to related impact, because the Italian tried to offer him with data that he appeared to imagine would assist his quest to move Albon.
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Pay attention to the radio messages from Lewis Hamilton’s first race with Ferrari all through the Australian Grand Prix.
Regardless of his clear frustration at occasions throughout the race, Hamilton praised Adami after the race.
He instructed reporters: “I think Riccardo did a really good job. We’re learning about each other bit by bit.
“After this we’ll obtain, we’ll undergo all of the feedback – issues I mentioned and vice versa.
“Generally, I’m not one that likes a lot of information in-race, unless I ask for it. He did his best today and we’ll move forward.”
Ferrari crew principal Fred Vasseur admitted that communications weren’t “clean” however insisted the Italian squad would study from their first racing expertise with Hamilton.
Vasseur mentioned: “It’s the first race, the first time that we have to communicate between the pit wall and the car.
“I believed that we will do a greater job and to know one another a bit extra. For certain it was not a clear one in any respect, however the technique was troublesome.
“We need to find a better way to communicate between the car and the pit wall, but we will learn from race one and it’s not an issue.”
The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the primary Dash weekend of the season on the Chinese language GP, with protection beginning on Friday dwell on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
