Lewis Hamilton file photo.© AFP
Lewis Hamilton said Thursday that suggestions that he had lost confidence in Ferrari was “complete garbage” while he is trying to bounce back from his Chinese disqualification of the Grand Prix this week in Japan. The seven times world champion experienced the ups and downs during his first two racing weekends with Ferrari, finishing 10th in Australia before winning his first victory at Scuderia Red during the Sprint race in Shanghai. Hamilton’s joy has transformed to despair the next day while he and his teammate Charles Leclerc were both expelled from the Chinese Grand Prix by commissioners for distinct technical offenses.
Hamilton told journalists before the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend in Suzuka that he “had no frustration” on the result in Shanghai.
“I saw someone said if I lost confidence in the team, which is complete garbage,” he said.
“I have an absolute 100% faith in this team.”
The expectations had been distorted, added Hamilton, by “the enormous amount of media threshing” surrounding his Mercedes movement in Ferrari.
“I do not know if everyone expected that we earn from Race One and win a championship in our first year,” said Hamilton.
“It was not my expectation. I know I come to a new culture, a new team and it will take time.”
Hamilton said it was “not surprised” that Red Bull replaced the underperforming Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda only two races in the new season, but called the “fairly hard” decision.
Hamilton, 40, is one of F1’s older statesmen and has expressed his sympathy with Lawson, 23.
“I think there is naturally a lot of pressure on the young people who arrive,” said Hamilton.
“There is no way you can put yourself completely above a car that is not the easiest car necessarily driving.
“Just to give him two races was quite hard.”
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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