Lewis Hamilton Reflects on Disappointment Following Sixth at Chinese Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton faced disappointment with a sixth-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix after making adverse set-up changes to his Ferrari post-Sprint. Despite winning the Sprint and taking pole position, he struggled with pace throughout the main race. Hamilton emphasized the need to learn from the experience and improve in subsequent races as Ferrari tries to climb the Constructors’ standings.
Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment regarding his sixth-place finish in the Chinese Grand Prix, acknowledging difficulties in maintaining competitive pace following unfavorable set-up changes to his Ferrari after the Sprint. Despite securing pole position and achieving his first win for the Scuderia during the Sprint, the subsequent Grand Prix did not replicate this success for Hamilton.
Starting from fifth on race day, Hamilton made contact with teammate Charles Leclerc at the outset. He opted for a two-stop strategy – a rare choice among leading drivers – and despite posting several fastest laps towards the end, he could not recover time lost during his second pit stop, ultimately finishing in sixth place.
Upon exiting the car, Hamilton reflected, “I feel okay. I wasn’t able to get the result that I was hoping for. I just didn’t have the pace of the cars up ahead” and noted his car’s balance suffered due to changes made after the Sprint.
When asked if recognizing the set-up changes as the cause of his challenges would provide a positive takeaway from the weekend, Hamilton affirmed: “Yeah, definitely. I think it’s good learnings and hopefully [we] won’t do that again.” He acknowledged that while there were positive aspects to the weekend, they were losing ground to rivals McLaren and Mercedes, as well as Max Verstappen.
Following the first two rounds of the season, Ferrari currently sits fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 35 points, only one point shy of Red Bull in third place, while McLaren holds a 25-point lead over Mercedes at the top of the standings.
In summary, Lewis Hamilton’s performance at the Chinese Grand Prix reflected a challenging race weekend marked by unproductive set-up changes post-Sprint. Hamilton’s experience underscores the importance of maintaining car balance, highlighted by his resolve to learn from the experience in hopes of better results in future races. As the season progresses, Ferrari aims to improve their standing in the Constructors’ Championship.
Original Source: www.formula1.com
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