F1: Lewis Hamilton Labels Debut Race With Ferrari In Melbourne 'A Big Crash Course'
Lewis Hamilton finished 10th at Australian Grand Prix in his first Formula One race for Ferrari.
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton labelled his first race for Ferrari a ‘big crash course’ after finishing 10th in the Australian Grand Prix. Months after joining the Scuderia, Hamilton competed in his first race with the Italian carmakers in Melbourne. The highly-anticipated debut, however, didn’t quite go as planned. The 2025 Formula 1 season endured a chaotic start at Albert Park with Hamilton ending the race 22.243 seconds behind winner Lando Norris. He spoke to reporters about the conditions after the race’s conclusion. “(It was) definitely a big crash course," he said, as per the New York Times. “I’m just grateful I kept it out of the wall," he added.
Lewis Hamilton spent the first half of the Australian Grand Prix running eighth. The British legend was stuck behind Williams driver Alex Albon. Next, a mid-race safety car period bunched up the field ahead of a heavy shower. Most teams opted to pit their divers due to safety concerns but Ferrari kept Hamilton out. They informed the multi-time world champion over the radio that it would be a short spell of rain. Hamilton initially rose to third place but the conditions soon became too slippery, forcing him to pit. The Ferrari driver was eventually overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the final lap to ultimately finish with one point.
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Lewis Hamilton had not driven the Ferrari car in the wet until the Australian Grand Prix. It made him feel like he was in the ‘deep, deep end’ given how differently the car performed under the slippery conditions. The multi-time world champion also felt there was a lack of communication between him and his team over the radio. “At the end, they said it was just a short shower, so I was like, ‘I’m going to hold it out,’ and the rest of the track was dry," he said. “So, I was like, ‘I’m going to stick it out as long as I can and keep it on the track.’ They didn’t say more (rain) was coming. And all of a sudden, more came. So I think it was just lacking that bit of information at the end," the Brit concluded.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix eventually saw McLaren’s Lando Norris seal top place in Melbourne with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finishing second. Lewis Hamilton’s former Mercedes team-mate George Russell finished in third.
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