The press rose mercilessly Lewis Hamilton Go, which only became tenth at the Formula 1 season opener in Australia. One thing is clear: the Englishman has no time in Italy. The Tifosi are calling for countable results for the races in China next weekend.
“Lewis Hamilton’s adventure in Ferrari already has the character of a farewell tour”the British newspaper judged “Daily Mail“Hart, Italy’s” Tuttosport “wrote of one disaster. The seven-time world champion and the most successful Formula 1 pilot of the 21st century is in the pillory after his first race weekend at Ferrari.
New car, new colleagues, difficult weather conditions with several rain showers – none of this counts in the evaluation of Hamilton’s first business trips. In qualifying before, there was only eighth place and then the rain forecast came. “Damn, I’ve never driven the car in the wet. I don’t even know which buttons I have to press tomorrow, so that will be new.” And the 40-year-old Tuttosport said about the other brake system compared to the Mercedes: “So I don’t know how the Brembo brakes are in wet behavior or what settings we have to use in this car.”
Hamilton annoyed
Due to the few test days defined by the regulations, the getting used to the vehicle but also to his new racing engineer Riccardo Adami was far too short. When it was clear that nothing went forward in the race, Hamilton Adami snapped over the Bortradio: “Let it be good, don’t repeat all the tips, leave it to me!” The nerves were quickly bare.
The experts are quickly impatient: “The honeymoon are over”the former Formula 1 team boss Günther Steiner was quoted at RTL/NTV, “Now he has to perform.” The former racing driver Christian Danner showed himself “shocked” From Hamilton’s performance at the start that Hamilton was “simply overwhelmed,” he told Motorsport magazine.
In addition, Ferrari made a once more strategy mistake in race, given too much risk in view of the Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, which were only traveling in the rear points: too much: “We have to admit that we made the wrong decisions”said Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur at “Canal+“But stood in front of his team: “It was good to take the risk.”
New attempt in Schanghai
At the second race in China (Sprint: 22.03., 4 a.m. (CET), race: 23.03., 8 a.m. (mez)), Ferrari hopes to build on the performance free training sessions in Melbourne. Leclerc was still really quick there.
The victory in the two races could still become one thing again that Red Bull, Mercedes and above all McLaren make up. Red Bull hopes to get better tire management – McLaren in Australia had been clearly superior there.
Because of McLaren: fia fits Rear wing regulations to
However, the teams and the officials of Lando Norris and Oscar Pastri will take a close look. For the second race, the regulations regarding the rear wings were tightened. McLaren had used a legal component there that probably allowed higher speeds. This advantage is there – and could make the race weekend in Shanghai even more exciting.
Source: Jo Herold (with SID)