Lewis Hamilton’s first full race weekend as a Ferrari Method 1 driver was not the end result he hoped for.
His second is off to a significantly better begin.
After ending the Australian Grand Prix in tenth place, Hamilton arrived in Shanghai with “aggression.” He put that to make use of with a thunderous efficiency in F1 Dash qualifying, placing his SF-25 on pole place with a efficiency that left the seven-time champion “gobsmacked.”
“I’m only a bit gobsmacked, truthfully,” mentioned Hamilton to the official F1 channel after F1 Dash qualifying. “I’m a bit stunned by it. I didn’t know once we would get to this place.
“After final weekend, it was a troublesome begin to the week and I got here right here with aggression and simply wished to enter the weekend and get the automobile into a very excellent spot.”
The motive force was shocked by the end result, in addition to the SF-25’s tempo relative to different automobiles within the discipline, together with McLaren’s MCL39.
“I began out straightaway with a greater feeling within the automobile and I can’t imagine that we’re on the entrance, forward of a McLaren which has been so quick all through winter testing, the primary race, and even at present,” added Hamilton.
“My first sector was actually, actually sturdy, I believe that’s the place I made most of my enchancment on that lap, however simply little increments by means of the entire place,” continued Ferrari’s latest driver.
“There’s nonetheless time to seek out, for positive, which I’ll try to be sure that I apply to the subsequent Qualifying session we exit in. It’s wonderful to see the primary as you cease and to be within the pink automobile, it’s fairly unbelievable.”
Hamilton, nonetheless, downplayed considerably his probabilities to maintain P1 in the course of the F1 Dash race. Max Verstappen, who’s all the time lurking, begins alongside him within the entrance row. As for these quick McLarens, Oscar Piastri will begin instantly behind Hamilton in P3, and Lando Norris will begin in P6.
Hamilton pointed to these automobiles as potential threats when the lights exit.
“I’m hoping that we are able to maintain onto it however I believe the McLarens are very, very quick, as is Max,” described Hamilton. “However we’re in a very good place, we’ll keep optimistic, we’ll preserve our heads excessive and preserve pushing forwards.”
