Lewis Hamilton has responded strongly to critics who he believes are making uninformed comments about his initial period with Ferrari. This comes after his impressive victory in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race.
Following a difficult tenth-place finish in wet conditions in Melbourne during his first race for Ferrari, Hamilton secured pole position for the Sprint in China. He then delivered an excellent performance on Saturday to comfortably win the 19-lap Sprint.
Hamilton`s high-profile move to Ferrari after twelve seasons with Mercedes put him under intense scrutiny, particularly after his performance in Australia, which he himself described as a `disaster` before his China Sprint pole.
Speaking after his Sprint win at the Shanghai International Circuit, and later after qualifying fifth for Sunday’s Grand Prix, Hamilton commented on the criticism. He stated, “I feel many people underestimated how difficult it is to join a new team, to get used to everything, to understand the team, and to communicate effectively – there are so many aspects to it.”
He added, “I`ve heard a lot of critics talking, making guesses without understanding the situation, perhaps because they lack the experience or awareness.”
“It felt great to come to China and feel more comfortable in the car, unlike in Melbourne where I wasn’t comfortable at all. From the very first lap this weekend, we’ve been competitive.”
In a later press conference, Hamilton was asked if the criticism he mentioned made his first Sprint victory even more satisfying.
He replied, “I`m not really trying to argue back with anyone. It`s just that we live in a time where negativity seems to be the go-to reaction, even to small things. It`s a challenging environment we`re in.”
“I notice certain individuals, and while I don’t follow all the news, I catch bits and pieces. I see people I`ve respected for years speaking out of turn, making assumptions about what’s happening.”
“There`s a lack of understanding that moving to a completely new team with a different way of working and a different car isn`t simple. You can`t just jump in and expect everything to be perfect immediately.”
Hamilton had previously spoken about his admiration for how quickly former Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel adapted to the team. He again drew comparisons to their experiences.
He noted, “Looking at Seb and Fernando, they both did a fantastic job when they first joined Ferrari.”
“However, building lasting success with a team takes time, and that’s my focus. I`m not trying to rush things or get ahead of myself. I`m taking the time to build with this excellent team. There`s immense potential here.”
“To have this kind of result already in just the second race is encouraging. This track has been good for me over many years, so we need to consider that factor.”
“But overall, I’ve felt good in the car, and as I learn more about how to set it up for different tracks, like this one, I believe I’ll have a better understanding for future races.”
Following setup adjustments for the main qualifying session, Hamilton found the SF-25 `trickier` to handle in the windy conditions in Shanghai. He qualified fifth for the Grand Prix, 0.286 seconds behind Oscar Piastri in pole position, but still ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
`We Must Remain Realistic`
Hamilton’s Sprint victory was unexpected, especially considering McLaren`s apparent performance advantage.
Lando Norris had won in Melbourne, and McLaren seemed set for a one-two finish if not for Oscar Piastri’s spin in the wet.
They were considered favorites for the Sprint pole, yet Piastri qualified third and Norris sixth. Piastri managed to overtake Max Verstappen for second in the Sprint, but Norris finished eighth after losing positions at the start.
When asked if the Sprint result gave him confidence about competing with McLaren for top positions this season, Hamilton urged caution.
He stated, “We`re coming from a race where we finished tenth, so we need to consider many factors.”
“We can`t get carried away by one result. The car felt good today, and we did finish ahead of a McLaren and a Red Bull. But that doesn’t automatically mean… look at qualifying; the field is very tight.”
“Avoiding mistakes will be crucial. But it seems we are in the mix this weekend, which is very positive.”
“I hope this continues, but we need to see how we perform at different tracks. Last week, we weren`t in this position.”
“I hope we’ve learned from last week and applied those lessons here, as the car has felt much better. If we can maintain this, I`ll be happy.”
