In only his second Formula 1 race as a Ferrari driver, Lewis Hamilton tasted victory by converting pole position in the Shanghai sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton declared himself “proud and grateful” to have experienced a winning feeling with Ferrari. Saturday marked his first victory driving for his new team, when he won the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Brit had qualified on pole but had Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row. Regardless, he held off the Dutchman in the early stages and powered to the chequered flag to secure what he hopes will be the first of many victories as a Ferrari driver.
And afterwards he took to Instagram to share a message to fans in which he made it clear that it was an emotional win for him – but that he also knows there is plenty more work to do before he is likely to experience that feeling on a regular basis.
Posted alongside several images of himself celebrating in front of the crowd in Shanghai, Hamilton wrote: “Today was the first time I felt what it means to win in a Ferrari. I’m so proud and grateful for that moment.
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“We still have so much work to do. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we know we have to unlock that pace across a weekend. Make no mistake, the taste of winning has made us all even hungrier. We will keep pushing and stay focused.”
His words echoed what he said earlier in the day during his interview after climbing out of his Ferrari. “I don’t feel the pressure. I know the Tifosi, I know the fans, I know the team want to win, and it means everything to them,” the 40-year-old beamed.
“But I said the other day, Rome wasn’t built in one day, one step at a time and we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We cannot. We’re going to continue to push, be diligent, just remain focused, stay calm – most importantly stay calm – because these moments get us all excited.
“But we’ll be back at our desks after this, focused on qualifying. It’s a long, long way. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so we’ve just got to take our time.”
Hamilton also had a message for his critics who were quick to write of his chances of success with Ferrari after an underwhelming debut in Melbourne last Sunday, where he finished 10th. He said: “The first race was difficult and I really do feel a lot of people underestimated the steep climb it is to get into a new team, to become acclimatise within the team, understanding, communication, all sorts of things.
“The amount of critics and people I’ve heard yapping along the way just clearly not understanding maybe because they’ve never had the experience, or just unaware. So it felt great to come here and feel more comfortable in the car because in Melbourne I really didn’t feel comfortable in the car.”
