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Hamilton and Ferrari already had success: One-off or more to follow?
- Ludo van Denderen
After claiming pole position for the Sprint and eventually winning that on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. All of that came after the British driver struggled with his Ferrari in Australia. Very different results, which prompts the question: how good is the combination Hamilton and Ferrari?
Criticism already began after a difficult weekend in Melbourne. Was the marriage between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari doomed to fail? Did the Italians make the wrong choice in contracting the seven-time world champion? With a sublime performance in Sprint Qualifying and then in the Sprint, Hamilton immediately managed to shut up everyone. Yes, the Brit can still do it, that much has been proved.
Hamilton cleverly held off Verstappen in the first sprint race of the season, eventually crossing the line with a clear lead ahead of Oscar Piastri, who finished second. This was the Lewis Hamilton of the past; someone who still has the qualities to play a major role in F1. Someone who can even win.
A day of mixed results
Later in the day, Hamilton then had to settle for 'only' fifth place in qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix. After being the clear number one for a moment, a few hours later, qualifying for the third row of the grid. First of all, this is currently the case for Formula 1 as a whole, that's how close the field is at the moment. Then it's all about details; do you manage to get the tyres in the right window, is there just a single setup that makes the difference.
For Hamilton it just fell the wrong way in qualifying, but he had made his point: Hamilton is competing for wins, provided he has to material to his liking. That Charles Leclerc finished behind him in both sessions was further proof that Hamilton's form is fine.
Hamilton also realises that this may or may not show up in the hard numbers. Speaking about the rest of the season, he said after qualifying in China: "It's going to be swings and roundabouts, right, it's going to be ups and downs. And again, this afternoon, I didn't expect to be P5 or P6, or at least I didn't expect to be where I am. But it's what we're going to face with through the season. So we've got to just try and stay calm," Hamilton said.
Hamilton really at ease
Moreover - and this is when Hamilton is really someone the competition has to take into account - he is really comfortable at the moment. While a fifth-place finish in qualifying had led to disappointing interview as a Mercedes drive last season, there was none of that now. Hamilton sees the bigger picture, namely that he can really play a significant role with Ferrari. Even with groundeffect cars, which don't actually suit his driving style.
"There have been so many weekends, I don't really remember [if this is the best I've felt], but [this is] probably one of the happiest. I'm just going to continue to get out there and drive," the Briton said. And that could just lead to him delivering some more trophies for the Scuderia.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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