Lewis Hamilton remains upbeat despite difficult Ferrari start

SHANGHAI, China — Lewis Hamilton downplayed his challenging start with Ferrari, stating, “It's not a moment to throw the toys out the pram.”

Hamilton finished 10th in his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix, despite leading briefly by staying on slick tires when others had switched to wet-weather intermediates.

“I mean, it wasn't the race that we wanted, but it's not a moment to throw the toys out the pram,” Hamilton commented. “One small thing could have made a big difference, but we move forward. Everyone's still motivated."

Hamilton's radio communication with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, drew media attention. Team principal Fred Vasseur mentioned the pit wall could improve its communications, but Hamilton dismissed it as a significant issue.

"I mean, naturally, everyone over-egged," Hamilton said. "I said, 'leave it to me, please.' I wasn't swearing. We're getting to know each other. There are no issues between us at all."

Hamilton highlighted that his radio conversations were mild compared to others. "Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers – [they are] far worse!" Hamilton remarked, referencing past conversations between Max Verstappen and his engineer.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton’s former teammate George Russell noted that McLaren seemed further ahead this year than Red Bull during its dominance. Hamilton acknowledged McLaren’s advantage but said it was too early to predict the title's outcome.

"I can't judge that from one race," he said. "Yes, McLaren has done a great job, but we're still just taking the time to learn the car. We definitely have work to do, but I think we can close the gap."

Hamilton’s positive outlook suggests he remains optimistic about overcoming the early challenges with Ferrari.

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