Lewis Hamilton downplays radio chatter controversy with Ferrari engineer
What's the story
Lewis Hamilton has put rumors of his unhappiness with Scuderia Ferrari to rest, after a string of radio conversations during the Australian Grand Prix. As per AP, the Briton clarified that his recent radio conversations are nothing compared to those of his Formula 1 rivals, like Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. Despite some strategic blunders and over-communication from his race engineer during the Albert Park race, Hamilton denied any anger toward Ferrari's race engineer Ricciardo Adami.
Debut troubles
Hamilton's challenging debut with Ferrari in Australia
Hamilton's first race with Ferrari didn't go as planned, with the driver qualifying eighth and finishing 10th. The disappointing result put an end to the preseason speculation that Ferrari could challenge McLaren for dominance. Despite the challenges, Hamilton maintained a respectful tone during radio conversations, saying, "I was very polite in how I suggested it, I said 'Leave it to me please.'" He stressed his need for full concentration on certain aspects of the race car.
Post-race discussion
Hamilton supports Ferrari's race engineer
Hamilton was supportive of Adami, who worked with Carlos Sainz Jr. and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. He proposed a constructive conversation post-race could clear any issues. "Afterwards," Hamilton said, "I was like, 'Hey bro, I don't need that bit of information but if you want to give me this, this is the place I'd like to do it.'" He said there were no problems between them and they would move forward positively.
Radio chats comparison
Hamilton compares his radio chats with Verstappen's
Addressing the radio chatter controversy, Hamilton compared his conversations to those of other F1 drivers. "Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers — far worse," he said. He particularly called out Verstappen's conversations with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, emphasizing that such conversations often include more fiery exchanges than what he faced at Ferrari.
Staying focused
Hamilton remains unfazed by Ferrari's pressure
Despite the pressure of joining Formula 1's most successful team, Hamilton remains unfazed. He took the challenges from his debut race with Ferrari in stride, saying, "It wasn't the race that we wanted but it's not the moment to throw the toys out of the pram." He stressed one small thing could have changed the outcome but they are moving forward with a positive attitude.
Information
Ferrari struggle at the season-opening Australian GP
Ferrari earned just 5 points from the season-opening Australian GP. Hamilton finished 10th to settle for 1 point. His teammate Charles Leclerc took 8th place and earned 4 points.