Toto Wolff all the time mentioned it was going to be unusual watching Lewis Hamilton race within the purple of Ferrari – and it appears the Mercedes boss has nonetheless not fairly come to phrases with it.
Hamilton, who gained six of his seven F1 world championships with Mercedes earlier than leaving for Maranello this winter, struggled on his debut for the Scuderia on the Australian Grand Prix final weekend.
Just a few miscommunications together with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami, a daring tyre name that didn’t repay and a lowly tenth place end was not the form of begin the Briton would have hoped for down beneath.
However, in former boss Wolff, Hamilton did not less than have one further, surprising cheerleader on the pit wall as he was fast to examine his tempo in addition to that of Mercedes duo George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“Once I was trying on the screens at occasions, the best way I checked out it was like we had three drivers,” mentioned Wolff.
“As a result of I used to be taking a look at R, U, S, I used to be taking a look at A, N, T, and I used to be taking a look at H, A, M, and also you realise H, A, M is definitely with Ferrari and isn’t with us anymore.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
“So it nonetheless feels, it was such a very long time, it is logical, you can’t simply say he is gone and you do not care anymore.
“We very a lot care how he is doing, however clearly on monitor he is the competitors and we have to beat the competitors.”
As soon as Wolff has misplaced that muscle reminiscence of checking for Hamilton’s progress, he’ll nonetheless little doubt monitor McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri given their velocity benefit in Melbourne.
“I believe it is a stable first weekend,” mentioned Wolff, with Russell ending third behind winner Norris and Max Verstappen, whereas Antonelli was reinstated to a powerful fourth after a profitable enchantment towards a five-second penalty.
“However taking a look at it all the time from the glass half-empty facet, it’s important to say that the tempo of the McLaren is simply very sturdy. One thing which we have to perceive, the best way they can handle the tyres and extract efficiency – we have to get higher.
“If we wish to battle, on advantage, for race victories and for a championship, then there’s undoubtedly one thing which we have to discover.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Components 1
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
Mercedes
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