Ferrari has promised to improve communication with Lewis Hamilton following a frustrating debut at the Australian Grand Prix. After switching from Mercedes, Hamilton faced a challenging first race with Ferrari, finishing 10th on March 16.
The race, held at Melbourne’s Albert Park, saw Lando Norris take the top spot, with Max Verstappen and George Russell securing second and third. Hamilton’s race, however, became a focal point due to his tense exchange with his engineer, Riccardo Adami. The 40-year-old driver was visibly frustrated with the car’s handling, particularly in the wet conditions, and the inaccurate weather predictions that caused further confusion.
In an interview after the race, Hamilton explained, “The car was really difficult to drive today. I’m thankful I didn’t end up in the wall, which is where it seemed to want to go most of the time. The setup was different, especially with the steering wheel, and we misjudged the weather, thinking it was just a light shower when it turned out to be more.”
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, has now vowed to improve their communication with Hamilton. He acknowledged the challenges of their first race together and stressed the importance of learning from the experience. “It’s just the beginning, and we can certainly do better. We need to understand each other more clearly and improve the way we communicate with Lewis,” Vasseur said. “We made mistakes this weekend, but we’ll focus on learning from them and being better in the upcoming races.”
Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished ahead of him in 8th place, making it a tough start for the team. As the Formula 1 season moves forward, the next race will be the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai from March 21 to 23, where Ferrari will aim to bounce back and refine their approach.
