An F1 reporter said that something changed between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
It’s been a difficult start to Ferrari for Hamilton, who is yet to stand on the podium for his new team. His fourth place at Silverstone was his best result of the season so far, and that was quickly followed by an “unacceptable” weekend at Spa, as described by the Brit.
After one of the biggest driver moves in F1 history, it’s not been the first half of the season that Hamilton imagined when moving to Maranello. However, this F1 reporter said something significant has changed between Hamilton and his new team, which may change their fortunes.
F1 reporter said Hamilton’s approach to Ferrari changed after Silverstone
Hamilton was outspoken, internally and externally, during the break between the British and Belgian Grand Prix.
He said to the media that he follows a long line of world-class drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, who failed to win a championship at Ferrari, and he is determined to be different.
Internally, he met with team management to discuss changes that need to be made within the team if they want to catch the championship-leading McLarens.
F1 reporter Albert Fabrega said he thinks Hamilton waited until Silverstone to be more outspoken. Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, he said, “I said, for me, there will be a turning point at Silverstone.
“If in Silverstone things don’t go right, I think we will see Lewis start to make changes within the team. That’s the point he highlighted on the calendar, where he said, ‘The time for me to adapt to the team, understand the team, adapt to the car, understand what Ferrari means in formula one, that comes to an end.
“‘Now I will put on the table what needs to change to make this team a winner.’
“I think Lewis respects Ferrari, and didn’t bring all these things to the table the first day he landed in Maranello. He waited a little bit of time, and he reached the point where he said, ‘If we want to win the world championship, we need to change.’
“This is what I understand happened in those two weeks after Silverstone.”
Things didn’t go to plan at Spa for Hamilton, but he seems happier overall with the car.
Ferrari trending in the right direction despite poor weekend at Spa, says Hamilton
A tricky weekend of qualifying ended in Hamilton turning back the clock. Hamilton spun in Sprint Qualifying, then he exceeded track limits in Grand Prix Qualifying, knocking him out of Q1 on both occasions. He called that “unacceptable”.
Hamilton fought back to seventh in an incredible display in the wet, which included an inspired strategy call from the seven-time world champion. After the race, he said he was happier with the car, which is a positive development, as Hamilton had previously called the Ferrari difficult to drive.
Now we head to the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Hamilton has had unrivalled success during his career. He holds the record for the most wins at a single circuit there with eight.
Now that he feels more comfortable with the car, and he’s more confident with the direction of the team, he’ll be hopeful to stand on the podium for the first time in red.