Hamilton’s first Ferrari race ‘a big crash course’

Monday, 17 March 2025 01:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Lewis Hamilton said his first race for Ferrari was “a big crash course” after he finished 10th in a chaotic Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion led the race briefly but an incorrect strategy call as rain hit late in the race led to him dropping down the field.

Hamilton said: “It felt like I was in the deep, deep end.”

The 40-year-old added that he “didn’t have any confidence in the car and was nearly in the wall most of the time.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris won in Melbourne from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate George Russell in third.

It was a chaotic start to the season at Albert Park for a race that started wet, dried up, and ended wet again, and featured three safety cars, an aborted start, and a series of crashes.

Hamilton, who had qualified eighth, said: “I’m grateful I got through it, came out of it with a little bit of something, at least one point. Obviously I didn’t go off or spin. Lacking pace, for sure, but I do believe the car has more performance than we were able to extract this weekend.”