Despite securing his first victory for Ferrari in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, Lewis Hamilton is keeping expectations in check as he looks ahead to Saturday’s qualifying. He remarked, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” emphasizing the need for patience.
Following a challenging Ferrari debut in Australia the previous weekend, where Hamilton struggled and finished tenth in wet conditions, he showed a significant turnaround in Saturday’s 19-lap sprint race.
In his post-race comments, Hamilton addressed critics who he felt didn’t grasp the complexities of switching teams, stressing the importance of perseverance in his quest for further wins.
Hamilton noted the criticism he’s received, saying, “Many critics and people have been vocal, clearly not understanding the situation, perhaps lacking the experience or awareness. It feels great to come here and feel comfortable in the car, a contrast to Melbourne where I wasn’t comfortable.”
He continued, “I don’t feel pressure. I know the Tifosi, the fans, and the team are eager for wins, and I understand its significance to them.”
“But as I said, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We need to take it one step at a time and avoid getting ahead of ourselves. We will maintain our efforts, stay focused and composed. These moments are exciting,” Hamilton added.
“After this, we’ll return to our tasks and concentrate on qualifying this afternoon. It’s a long journey, a marathon, not a sprint,” he concluded.
When asked about responding to his critics early in the season, Hamilton clarified, “I’m not really responding to them directly.”
“It’s just that we live in a time where negativity seems to be readily embraced, even in trivial matters. It’s a challenging aspect of the world we live in, I believe,” Hamilton reflected.
“I observe certain individuals, and while I don’t follow all news closely, I catch snippets. I see people I’ve long admired making uninformed comments, clearly making guesses about the situation.”
“As I mentioned, there’s a lack of understanding. Moving to a new team with a different operational style and car characteristics is not simple. Success takes time to build with a team.”
“That’s my focus – building steadily with this excellent team. I’m not trying to rush or get ahead of myself. I’m taking the time to develop with the team,” he explained.
Drawing lessons from the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton approached his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, at the beginning of the week with suggestions to refine the car’s setup for China.
“Entering this weekend, I immediately contacted Riccardo on Monday and outlined the areas I wanted to focus on – indicating a direction that I felt more comfortable with.”
“This approach was based on testing in Bahrain during preseason, which we had deviated from in Australia. We’ve made a few adjustments, and from the moment I started driving yesterday, I’ve felt more connected with the car.”
“I’m still learning how to use the tools to get the car to perform as I want. I’m pleased with the progress, considering the circumstances.”
“Now I have a much better understanding of the car’s preferences and what adjustments I need to make it faster,” Hamilton concluded.
