Lewis Hamilton has rejected claims that he is losing confidence in Ferrari after the team faced a double disqualification in China, calling the rumors “complete rubbish.”
After a high-profile move from Mercedes to Ferrari, Hamilton finished 10th in his debut race in Australia. He then secured a victory in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race. However, he was later disqualified from the main race in China, where he had initially finished sixth.
The seven-time world champion`s Australian race result could have been better, but a risky strategy to stay on dry tires in wet conditions impacted his finish. His disqualification in China was due to excessive wear on the plank of his SF-25 car.
Speaking to the media, Hamilton stated he felt no frustration after the disqualification. He mentioned that the team learned a lot from the experience during a factory visit. He emphasized the importance of taking both successes and failures together as a team.
Hamilton highlighted the team`s positive response to the setback, noting their data analysis and focus on future progress. He dismissed suggestions about losing faith in the team as completely unfounded, affirming his full confidence in Ferrari.
Despite the initial hype around his move to Ferrari and expectations of immediate wins, Hamilton clarified that he never anticipated instant success. He acknowledged the need for time to adapt to a new team culture.
Hamilton reiterated his faith in Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. He described his initial months with Ferrari as an observation period to understand the team`s operations, which differ from his experiences at McLaren and Mercedes. He sees areas for improvement but appreciates Vasseur`s approach.
Hamilton explained that his departure terms from Mercedes prevented him from participating in the post-season Abu Dhabi test in December, where new 2025 tires were tested. Combined with an issue during Bahrain pre-season testing, this limited his long-run experience with the new tire compounds.
He reiterated that he didn`t expect to win from the first race, considering his Sprint race victory a bonus. He also mentioned that the Sprint race was his first long run on the tires and the main race was his first experience with the C2 tire.
