Hamilton tempers expectations after first Ferrari victory

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton has urged patience following his first win as a Ferrari driver in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race. Reflecting on the switch to Ferrari, Hamilton remarked, "Rome wasn't built in a day," emphasizing the need for steady progress.

After a challenging debut with Ferrari in Australia, where he finished 10th in wet conditions, Hamilton displayed a marked improvement during the 19-lap sprint in China. Addressing critics, he said, "The amount of critics and people I've heard yapping just clearly not understanding... it felt great to come here and feel comfortable in the car."

Hamilton acknowledged the high expectations from fans and the team, stating, "I don't feel the pressure. I know the Tifosi, the fans, the team wants to win and I know it means everything to them. But we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. We're going to continue to push, be diligent, and just remember to be focused and calm."

Commenting on the broader negativity in the world, Hamilton noted, "We live in such a strange time that people just love to be negative at any opportunity. It is not easy moving to a new team... To build long-term success with a team takes time."

Hamilton credited better communication with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, for the improved performance. "Coming into this weekend, straight away on Monday I hit Riccardo up and said, 'These are the things that I want to start with this weekend.' From the moment I started driving yesterday, I felt more at one with the car."

While lessons from the Australian Grand Prix informed his approach, Hamilton emphasized ongoing learning and adaptation. "I'm learning along the way still... but now I've got a much better knowledge of what the car likes and what I need to do to make it faster."

As Hamilton continues to acclimate to Ferrari’s dynamics, his focus remains on long-term success rather than immediate results.

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