What Lewis Hamilton said over Ferrari team radio that sky sports F1 didn’t broadcast
Lewis Hamilton’s debut qualifying session with Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix ended in disappointment, leaving the seven-time world champion with more questions than answers. Hamilton, who joined Ferrari from Mercedes in pursuit of his eighth world title, could only manage eighth place on the grid, almost a second off pole-sitter Lando Norris.
The 40-year-old’s struggles on the Albert Park circuit were evident throughout qualifying. In Q2, he spun his car, and in Q3, he clocked a slower time than Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls and Alex Albon of Williams. Hamilton’s frustration was palpable as he radioed his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, saying, “I don’t know what happened there, mate.”
Adami, who has previously worked with Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel, offered words of encouragement, replying, “Tough one. Overall good job out there.” The exchange highlighted Hamilton’s honest admission of his struggles, but it was not broadcast by Sky Sports F1 at the time, as the television cameras focused on the top three.
Hamilton’s qualifying woes are not new, as he endured a tough time in his final season with Mercedes. He finished ahead of his former teammate George Russell on only five occasions. This time, however, he faces a new challenge with Ferrari, and his teammate Charles Leclerc got the upper hand in qualifying, finishing one place ahead of Hamilton.
Despite the disappointing result, Hamilton remains optimistic. He acknowledged that it has been a big learning curve this weekend, and the car felt different from anything he has experienced before at Albert Park. Hamilton explained that building confidence in the car has been a slow process, but he is happy to have gotten closer to Leclerc’s pace.
The Australian Grand Prix will get underway on Sunday morning, with Norris starting from pole position. Max Verstappen, who finished third in qualifying, is the second favorite to win the race, having claimed four F1 Drivers’ Championship titles in a row. Hamilton and Leclerc will need to improve their performance if they hope to launch Ferrari onto the podium in Melbourne.
As the lights go out on Sunday, Hamilton will be looking to bounce back from his disappointing qualifying result. With his vast experience and determination, he will undoubtedly push hard to make up ground and bring Ferrari into contention. The Australian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting and unpredictable race, with several drivers in the mix for victory.
