F1 News
Hamilton smelled a win in Australia: 'I was leading for a second'
While on paper it may appear as though Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari debut was not all it could be, in the end, the seven-time world champion did see himself with a shot at the win at one point in Melbourne.
12 laps from the race finish, rain started coming down. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, then P1 and P2 respectively, went off at turn 12, with the Briton being able to retain his lead, while the Australian found himself stuck on the grass on the outside of Turn 13. McLaren then decided to play it conservatively and pit Norris immediatly, with Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen opting to stay out. They were not the only ones, with Ferrari and Hamilton choosing to brave out the conditions.
"The last sector everyone was going off, but I was managing to hold it on, so I was just passing people," said Hamilton to media present at the paddock in Australia, including GPblog. "Once I got past the start line it was dry, so I was like, 'it's fine for me, I'll just hold this out. I've only got a few more laps to go,'" said explaining his reasoning behind his and the team's intentions to survive the inclement weather.
"But then it pelted down..."
"But then it pelted down. I think the last two laps, it started coming down." It was then Hamilton and Ferrari had a split in their strategic approach. "That's the moment we should have it come in." A missed opportunity? "In that moment, I don't know, I was like, 'oh my God, I'm so--'. I was leading for a second."
Being within a shot at the win just a few moments before, that last patch of rain lingered longer than he and Ferrari had hoped for, leaving the Briton to finish P10 at the flag of the chaotic season opener.
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