Shanghai: Lewis Hamilton delivered a statement win in the Sprint Race at the Chinese Grand Prix, securing his first victory for Ferrari and silencing the doubts surrounding his switch to the Italian team.
The seven-time World Champion, who has dominated at the Shanghai International Circuit in the past with six Grand Prix wins, put in a commanding performance to finish 6.889 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The victory comes as a huge boost for Hamilton, who endured a difficult outing in Australia, where he struggled to get comfortable in the SF-25. After his disappointing performance in Melbourne, critics were quick to question whether he could adapt to his new surroundings at Ferrari. However, Hamilton hit back at those doubts, highlighting the challenges of transitioning to a new team.
“The first race was difficult, and I really do feel a lot of people underestimated how steep the climb is to get into a new team, to become acclimatised, to understand communication, and all sorts of things,” Hamilton said after his win.
He also addressed the negativity surrounding his early struggles with Ferrari, suggesting that those who doubted him lacked the understanding of what it takes to adapt to a new car and environment.
“The amount of critics and people I’ve heard yapping along the way, just clearly not understanding… maybe because they’ve not had the experience or are just unaware,” he added.
Unlike in Melbourne, where he never looked settled in the Ferrari, Hamilton appeared far more at ease in Shanghai. Right from the first practice session, he felt a better connection with the car, and that translated into a dominant performance in the Sprint. He credited his team for helping him make the necessary adjustments to maximise performance.
“From Lap 1 here this weekend, I really felt on it. We’ve done a great job – engineers, mechanics – everyone has worked hard to fine-tune the car, and it felt great today,” he said.
Hamilton made a strong start in the Sprint and managed his tyres well despite the challenges posed by Shanghai’s resurfaced track. The Briton admitted that the high grip levels on the new tarmac made tyre management tricky, but he was able to control the race from the front.
“I got a good start, and then there’s so much grip on this new tarmac. It’s really hard to look after these tyres, but I think everyone was struggling the same,” he explained.
However, he urged both the team and fans to remain patient, acknowledging that Ferrari still has a long journey ahead before they can consistently challenge for wins.
“I know the Tifosi, I know the fans, I know the team wants to win. I know it means everything to them. But I said the other day, Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Hamilton said. “One step at a time – we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.”
Hamilton emphasised that this is a long-term project and that while the Sprint victory is a great milestone, the focus remains on continuous improvement.
“We’re going to continue to push. We’re going to be diligent and just remain focused. We’ll be back at our desks after this and focused on Qualifying this afternoon. It’s a long, long way. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so we’ve just got to take our time.”
(IANS)
