Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton briefly led the race in Melbourne, but a poorly timed strategy call during a late downpour saw him tumble down the order, ultimately finishing 10th.
Reflecting on the dramatic race, Hamilton admitted, “It felt like I was in the deep, deep end.” The 40-year-old added that he struggled with confidence in the car, frequently coming close to losing control.
The Australian Grand Prix was a turbulent season opener at Albert Park, with changing weather conditions leading to three safety car periods, an aborted start, and multiple crashes. McLaren’s Lando Norris took victory ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate, George Russell, secured third place.
Hamilton, who started eighth, acknowledged the difficulties but found some positives in salvaging a single point. **”I’m grateful I got through it. I didn’t go off or spin. We lacked pace, but I believe the car has more potential than we showed this weekend,”** he said.
Ferrari’s decision to delay Hamilton’s switch to wet-weather tyres proved costly. When rain arrived with 13 laps to go, the team pitted him three laps later than Norris and one after Verstappen, leaving him struggling for grip.
Everyone was sliding in the last sector, but I was holding on and making up places. The start-finish straight was dry, so I thought I could manage. But then it started pouring in the final two laps, and that’s when we should have pitted,”** Hamilton explained.
At one point, I was third. I even led for a moment. But I don’t think we had the pace of the McLarens today. There’s more performance in the car—we just didn’t unlock it this weekend.”
Ferrari Admits Strategy Mistake
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur conceded that the team made the wrong call and vowed to improve communication ahead of the next race in China.
**”It was our first time handling strategy discussions with Lewis, and we didn’t execute it well. We’ll review everything and ensure better communication moving forward,”** Vasseur said.
Ferrari endured a difficult weekend overall. Charles Leclerc, who followed the same strategy, started one place ahead of Hamilton and finished two spots in front after passing him during the final restart.
Vasseur believes Ferrari’s struggles stemmed from an unoptimized car setup for Albert Park’s conditions, insisting their true pace should place them right behind McLaren.
Today’s race conditions don’t reflect our real performance. What we saw in Friday and Saturday’s sessions is more accurate—though even then, McLaren had the edge. If you don’t adapt to track temperature and tyre behaviour, you fall out of the performance window. Next weekend will be a different challenge,”** he concluded.
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