Ferrari hasn't given up on Lewis Hamilton: "We could have finished third today."

Expected to be the second strongest team on the grid heading into the opening round of the F1, Classic Ferrari for sale didn't quite deliver the expected performance in Melbourne. While the Silver Arrows' dominance was anticipated, it's the size of the gap that surprises observers: more than nine-tenths of a second behind for Lewis Hamilton George Russell, the day's pole-sitter, was the one who expected such a gap. The seven-time world champion had anticipated this gap.

« I'm not surprised by the gap, no. It's clear they hadn't shown the engine's full power during testing because of all the debate surrounding the compression ratio. They've certainly done a great job on their power unit, as have we, but I'd like to understand where they found those two-tenths per sector, just in terms of power.Lewis Hamilton wondered to Sky Sports F1. If it's due to the compression ratio, I'd like to understand why the FIA ​​didn't react and what was done to rectify it. If it's not due to that, we simply need to improve. » Mercedes Benz Mercedes reportedly exploited a loophole in the technical regulations to increase its hot compression ratio to 18:1, exceeding the 16:1 limit. This gain would give the Mercedes team an estimated lap time advantage of a few tenths of a second.

Hampered by multiple problems during the session, the SF-26s of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were not expected to beat the Mercedes in any case, according to Frédéric Vasseur, head of the Scuderia.

However, Lewis Hamilton's seventh-place finish is still a disappointment for the Briton, who had made an ideal start to his weekend with the second-fastest time in FP1. The whole weekend went very well until Q2. Q1, done on the medium tires, was solid. I felt good, but when we got to Q2, we encountered problems with the engine. he regrets. We ended up having to pit, which added a lot of pressure. We had to go back out and try to execute the lap perfectly on our first attempt to avoid being eliminated. All of this on a set of tires we hadn't even driven on before. In qualifying, that's a tricky situation. »

The turbocharger, Ferrari's weapon

Despite the problems encountered, Lewis Hamilton maintains that his car has more to offer. In Q3, it was the same, but it was really chaotic for everyone. There was a bit of luck involved. There's a lot more performance in this car. He said. We didn't execute things perfectly. Honestly, if we had, I think we could be third today. »

At this preliminary stage of the season, however, there is no cause for concern. Once these technical issues are resolved, the Italian team has complete confidence in its ability to deliver the promised performance. The car is really, really better. insists the seven-time world champion. It's close between all of us, with the exception of the Mercedes of course, but I'm excited about what lies ahead. »

While the superiority of the Brackley engine was anticipated, particularly thanks to its advantageous compression ratio, Scuderia Ferrari has a major ace up its sleeve: a more compact turbocharger. This feature should allow the red cars to get off to a more responsive start.

Starting seventh on the grid, Lewis Hamilton will need to capitalize on this strength to gain positions as soon as the lights go out. But the task looks tough: between him and his teammate Charles Leclerc, the McLaren byOscar piastri and Lando Norris They are keeping a close eye on things. One thing is certain, the first Grand Prix of the year remains a leap into the unknown where reliability, whether it comes from Maranello or Brackley, will be the deciding factor.

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