MIAMI, Fla. — As Ferrari drivers took their positions at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, it’s hard to foresee much optimism from a seasoned driver like Lewis Hamilton after finishing in eighth place.
Yet, optimism was exactly how Hamilton characterized his outlook.
“I had a generally good day,” Hamilton responded when discussing the race with the media after the event. “Eighth place doesn’t seem like much, but I feel positive about what’s ahead.”
“I believe this car really has potential,” he added.
“But at this moment, something seems to be holding us back. We lost performance since China. It’s there.”
“So until we address that, we’ll keep working on everything else. I felt like I had a better weekend overall. Finishing third in the F1 Sprint race yesterday was definitely encouraging.”
Hamilton also addressed some of the radio communications that were broadcast during the race, particularly regarding the strategic decisions made by the team while he and Charles Leclerc were competing, trying to close in on Mercedes driver Kimi Antoneri, who was in sixth.
Hamilton’s medium tires were performing better than Leclerc’s harder ones, so the former champion was expected to overtake Leclerc. There seemed to be a delay in communication as Leclerc ultimately allowed Hamilton to pass.
Before that swap, Hamilton appeared frustrated on the radio, suggesting they were “tee breaking” while waiting for exchanges of strategy to happen.
However, once the switch occurred, Leclerc’s hard tires started to gain traction, and he felt he was moving faster. He often reminded Hamilton to pick up his pace, noting he faced issues with dirty air.
Eventually, they made a switchback call.
The numerous radio communications hinted at some tension within the team. Yet team principal Frederick Vasser clarified to the media that the radio messages broadcasted may be delayed, and only a small part of the situation was visible. Vasser stressed that the driver wants to compete fiercely, noting Hamilton’s champion status.
Hamilton echoed that sentiment.
“At least everything was PG, right?” he joked.
“I still have that fire within me. It’s real, and I won’t apologize for being competitive,” Hamilton continued. “I’m not sorry for wanting to fight, and I know that our team shares that drive. When we address some of the issues with our cars, we’ll be back in contention against Mercedes and Red Bull, and I hope that happens soon. But we’ll explore some different strategies for the next race.”
“We’ll keep focusing on the process.”
“I’m really looking forward to the time when I can contend for the podium. That’s my goal.”
