Despite securing his first victory for Ferrari in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, Lewis Hamilton is keeping expectations in check, reminding everyone that significant achievements take time, using the phrase “Rome wasn`t built in a day.”
Following a challenging Ferrari debut in Australia, where Hamilton finished tenth and lacked confidence in wet conditions, he showed a remarkable turnaround in Saturday`s sprint race.
In his post-race comments, Hamilton addressed critics who he felt didn`t appreciate the difficulties of switching teams, emphasizing the need for patience as he aims for more wins with Ferrari.
Hamilton noted that he heard many critics along the way who didn`t seem to understand the challenges of team changes. He expressed satisfaction in feeling comfortable with the car in China, a contrast to his discomfort in Melbourne.
He stated that he doesn’t feel pressure from the Ferrari fans or team to win immediately, understanding their desire for victory.
Hamilton reiterated his point about taking things one step at a time and not getting ahead of themselves. He stressed the importance of focus and calmness, viewing the journey with Ferrari as a marathon, not a sprint.
Subsequently, Hamilton qualified fifth for Sunday`s main race, with Oscar Piastri of McLaren securing pole position.
When asked about responding to his critics early in the season, Hamilton clarified that he wasn`t directly addressing them. He commented on the negativity prevalent in the world, even towards minor things, and noted that some individuals he once admired were making uninformed judgments.
Hamilton highlighted the lack of understanding regarding the complexity of moving to a new team with different operational methods and car characteristics. He emphasized that building long-term success with a team requires time and a deliberate approach, not rushing for immediate results.
After learning from the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton proactively approached his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, at the beginning of the week to suggest car setup improvements for the Chinese race.
Hamilton explained that he communicated his desired direction for the car setup to Adami on Monday, based on testing in Bahrain. He felt much more connected to the car in China, attributing it to these adjustments.
He concluded by stating that he is still learning how to optimize the car`s performance and is gaining a better understanding of what it needs to be faster.
Dominic Ashworth