Lewis Hamilton has hit the “screaming” critics to make “uneducated assumptions” about his Ferrari debut wars after completing a tremendous turn to win the Chinese Sprint Grand Prix.
After fighting at the 10th Wet in Melbourne in his first performance in Ferrari last weekend, Hamilton took the Sprint pole in China on Friday before producing a great car to facilitate the victory in the 19-Jiro Saturday competition.
The crossing of the World Champion Block seven times in Ferrari after 12 seasons with Mercedes made that center of attention at the opening of the season in Australia, with many analysis behind a screen that Hamilton reflected after China Sprint Pole as a “catastrophe”.
Speaking in his post-competition interview in the international circuit Shanghai after his victory, Hamilton said: “I really feel that many people underestimated the steep climb that is to get into a new team, to acclimatize within the team, understanding and communication-all kinds of things.
“The amount of critics and people I have heard, screaming along the way, not understanding perhaps because they never had experience or were not aware.
“I felt good about coming here and being more comfortable in the car because I didn’t feel good in the car in Melbourne. From Jump 1 this weekend we were in it.”
Speaking at a press conference shortly thereafter, Hamilton was asked if the criticism he had spoken on made the right track more satisfying to claim the first victory of his career Sprint.
He said: “I am not talking to them or something like that. It is just that we live in such a strange time in the world that people just want to be negative in every opportunity, even with the smallest things, you want to be negative about it. This is the difficult time we are living in.
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Lewis Hamilton has returned to those who criticized his radio exchanges with competition engineer Ferrari Riccardo Adam and says his communication will become stronger ‘race for competitions’.
“I see some individuals, and again, I don’t really look read the news, but I see pieces here and there. I see people I have admired for years just talking outside the turn.
“There is a real lack of evaluation, it is not easy to move to a new team that works completely different, a completely different characteristic of the car. You not only jump in and is good.”
Hamilton had spoken ahead of the season about his admiration for the speed with which former Ferrari Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel were settled on the Italian team, and once again compared his journey with those of his world champions.
He added: “It is true if you look at the seb, you look at Fernando, they did a great job when they joined the team in their early stages.
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Travel on board with Lewis Hamilton as he got a sensational pole for Sprint that qualified for the Chinese Grand Prix.
“But to build long -term success with the team takes time to build and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to start it or go in front of myself. I’m just taking my time to build with this great team. There is so much potential in this team.
“For us to be in the second race already and have that experience, this is a song in which I have gone well for many, many years, so you have to get it a little.
“But in general, I have felt really well in the car, and while I am learning more than where the car likes to settle on a track like this, for example, when I get to another track, the site, the last one, I think I have a better understanding of where to put it.”
‘We can’t go ahead of ourselves’
Hamilton’s Sprint triumph in Shanghai was surprisingly not only in the light of his first performance, but also because McLaren had seemed to be calm in front of their rivals.
Lando Norris won in Melbourne and McLaren was likely to have a one-two if it hadn’t been for the Oscar to rotate in the rain.
The duo were clear favorites for Sprint Pole, but the piastri was the third and Norris sixth. Australian managed to cross Max Verstappen for second in Sprint, but Norris could only escape in eighth place after losing three places in the opening lap.
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Lewis Hamilton led from beginning to end as he claimed his first victory by Ferrari at Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Asked after the race if the result had given him confidence that he and Ferrari could compete with McLaren for Silverware this season, Hamilton preached care.
He said: “We only came from a race where we finished the 10th, so there are so many factors to really consider.
“We just can’t come out of ourselves from that result we just had.
“The car felt good today, and yes, it managed to end up in front of an McLaren and a Red Bull. But that doesn’t necessarily mean … you know, look at the qualification, it’s very, very close.
“So not making mistakes will be important. But I think we seem to be there or around this weekend, which is really good.
“I hope this will continue. But again, from the track track, we will have to wait and see. We saw last week we didn’t have it.
“I hope there are many lessons from last week we have already applied this week and the car has been in a much better place, so I hope we can keep it there. And if we can, then, it makes me happy.”
Sky Sports F1 Chinese GP Program Live
Saturday March 22
- 6.35AM: Chinese GP Construction Qualification **
- 7 Morning: Qualification of Chinese GP*
- 9 Morning: TED Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday March 23
- 2.40: 00: F1 Academy Race 2
- 5.30 morning: Chinese GP Construction: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 7 morning: Chinese Grand Prix*
- 9:00: Chinese GP reaction: Controlled flag*
- 10:00: TED Notebook*
*Also in the main event of Sky Sports
Formula 1 is in Shanghai this week for the first weekend of the season sprint in Chinese GP, Live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time
