Lewis Hamilton Seethes on Radio as Ferrari Blows Chance for First Win at Australian GP

After reaching the limit of frustration during an exhausting two-hour period amidst the rain and wind at Albert Park, Lewis Hamilton was stunned by an unexpected win on their first attempt Ferrari slipped away from him during the start of the season Australian Grand Prix .

As the dark clouds gathered again and late rain played havoc With front-runners Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri leading, Ferrari chose to leave Hamilton on track as the rainfall intensified, whereas much of the rest of the grid decided to make their pit stops.

Following another safety car period, where leader Hamilton got stuck behind slower cars before finally changing to intermediate wet tires, he fell toward the rear of the field. His distress was clear in his tone. The veteran driver ended up finishing 10th, securing only a single point during this disappointing race weekend.

When informed about his changed standing via team radio, Hamilton exclaimed in frustration and remarked to the new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, "We lost out on a great chance." Earlier during the competition, Hamilton found communicating with the Italian engineer Adami—who previously worked with Carlos Sainz—challenging, often telling him to “let me handle this myself.” These initial difficulties were quite evident.

Norris, who began from pole position, emerged victorious in an exhilaratingly action-filled competition In perilous conditions at Albert Park, Max Verstappen finished second and George Russell came in third.

Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc They nearly crashed into each other towards the end of the race, but the Monegasque driver ultimately crossed the finish line in eighth place.

Hamilton, who began the race in eighth place, additionally lost ground to McLaren’s Oscar Piasti during the closing stages, finishing underwhelmingly after an abysmal performance over the final 15 laps. Given all the anticipation leading up to this initial weekend, it proved to be a major letdown for the seven-time world champion.

"It was quite complicated," Hamilton said. Sky Sports F1 afterwards.

It turned out much worse than I anticipated; driving the car today was extremely challenging. I'm thankful I managed to keep it from hitting the walls, which seemed to be its main objective throughout.

“There’s a great deal to absorb, with distinct power units for wet conditions, altered driving techniques, and adjustments on the steering wheel. Plus, understanding how much additional rainfall was expected... unfortunately, we were left out.”

The details I received indicated that it would be a brief rainstorm, happening very quickly, only affecting the final turn. However, more rainfall ended up coming.

Norris endured a rain shower and a last-minute challenge from Max Verstappen To kick off his season impressively by claiming victory in a chaotic, unpredictable, and exciting race where six vehicles withdrew following multiple collisions.

Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, and Carlos Sainz were all compelled to withdraw prematurely from the race in Melbourne due to challenging driving conditions caused by strong winds and heavy rain. Veteran driver Fernando Alonso also found himself colliding with barriers despite his experience.

With 13 laps left, both Norris and Vettel Oscar Piastri , who was chasing his teammate from the McLaren team in second place, went off the track and into the gravel due to slippery conditions.

Top 10 - Australian Grand Prix

1. Lando Norris

2. Max Verstappen

3. George Russell

4. Kimi Antonelli

5. Alex Albon

6. Lance Stroll

7. Nico Hulkenberg

8. Charles Leclerc

9. Oscar Piastri

10. Lewis Hamilton

Norris managed to pit for intermediate tires, allowing him to secure the win, whereas Piastri found himself off-track in the grass at the second-to-last turn, thus thwarting McLaren’s hopes of achieving a 1-2 finish.

Much to the disappointment of the local fans, the Australian competitor ended up crossing the finish line in ninth place.

Norris secured the victory by only 0.8 seconds ahead of world champion Verstappen, who maximized the potential of his Red Bull under ideal circumstances for him.

"It was an extremely challenging race, particularly because Max was right behind me," Norris stated.

I was exerting myself. Particularly during the final two laps, it was somewhat stressful, to be honest.

But an incredible way to kick off the year, even though it was a challenging one, since we ended up making some significant errors.

I navigated through the rough terrain and encountered much of the wear and tear, dealing with challenging circumstances. Yet, those are the moments that make it exciting, entertaining, and full of surprises.

We made many errors last year, so I suppose we took lessons from those missteps. As you understand, we missed out on opportunities at Silverstone and Canada due to races similar to this one.

“We have learned from our errors.”

Alex Albon secured an outstanding fifth place for Williams, with Russell’s teammate, the 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, finishing impressively in fourth during his Formula One debut. This came after Mercedes successfully overturned a five-second penalty through a post-race appeal.

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