F1: Iconic Ferrari often considered a ‘crisis’ team, says Hamilton ahead of Saudi Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton concurred that Ferrari is often considered a ‘crisis’ team, with people always looking to amplify the outfit’s problems on the track.
“On one side, it’s to be expected. It’s the greatest team in Formula 1 history,” the seven-time Formula One World Champion told reporters in the paddock on Thursday, ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
“Of course, there’s more clicks, more stories that are written about it and people have opinions. It’s not always been smooth sailing,” he added.
“There’s so many great things within this team. And, we want to harness the energy and the passion that’s within it. We also have to protect it as well because the spotlight’s more than any other team,” he explained.
The English driver named the Jeddah Corniche circuit as one of his favourites, despite suggestions that the track is dangerous due to its narrow layout and high-speed corners.
Hamilton won the first instalment of the race, held as the penultimate round in 2021, after a tense showdown with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, before the controversial driver’s championship decider in Abu Dhabi.
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“I love the track. I think it’s very, very fast,” the Briton said. “It’s massively challenging for the drivers obviously, with the climate, the temperature, the G [forces] that we’re putting in the high-speed corners and then mentally just everything’s going so quick. It’s hard to explain it,” the 40-year-old said.
“I think we’ve had mostly one-stop [races] because the surface is really quite smooth. Maybe if the temperature comes up, they’ll force it into two and make it a bit better,” he added.
Despite already tasting his first win with the Scuderia at the Shanghai Sprint Race, Hamilton’s best result on a Sunday has been the fifth place he managed in Bahrain last week.
The car looked extremely quick on medium tyres during the middle stint, but a safety car stoppage meant the team was forced to switch to the hard, which eventually prevented a shot at vying for a podium.
Hamilton, however, said the positive response from Bahrain will not immediately translate to a better pace.
“I think it was a real positive to have that stint and have that experience with the car. I made some changes to the driving style. Every time I go out in the car, it’s easy to automatically go back to your old driving style. So, that’s something I need to make sure I continue to practice,” the former Mercedes driver said.