Chinese GP: Hamilton eyes victory after sprint success

Lewis Hamilton is back in a winning mindset after securing his first Ferrari victory in Saturday's sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton led the 19-lap sprint from start to finish, but will begin fifth on the grid for Sunday’s full-length race.

Despite adjusting his car's setup to improve race pace, the changes negatively impacted his qualifying performance. Hamilton, however, remains optimistic. After winning the sprint by seven seconds over McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who starts on pole, Hamilton plans to strategize for a Sunday win.

"If I can do the same thing, yes [the race pace can be strong on Sunday]," Hamilton said. "But again I'm in a much different position as well. I feel optimistic for tomorrow. I'd like to get a good start and jump at least one car. Tonight I'm just going to make a masterplan of how to win. Then I've got to try and execute it!"

Hamilton acknowledged the ups and downs in his early Ferrari career. "There's going to be swings and roundabouts, right? There's going to be ups and downs. And again, this afternoon, we didn't expect to be P5 or P6, at least I didn't expect to be where I am. But it's what we're going to be faced with through the season. Just got to try and stay calm, as I said this morning, and just, just leave everything tomorrow and see where we are."

Hamilton’s confidence and strategic planning will be crucial as he aims for victory in Shanghai.

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