Ferrari F1 reality bites on Hamilton's damp debut

There’s nothing like racing agony, the reality of a new dawn compared to the high-octane hullaballoo, to wipe out a twomonth period of euphoric bliss. Lewis Hamilton arrived in Melbourne visibly joyous ahead of the opening chapter of his Ferrari story.

- KIERAN JACKSON

Four days on, F1’s joint-most successful driver will now be under no illusions regarding the scale of the challenge ahead.

And it wasn’t just Ferrari’s late fumble – for both drivers, we should add, with Charles Leclerc also impacted – which will eat away at Hamilton on his flight to Shanghai this week for next weekend’s Chinese GP. Nor will it be the last-lap concession to Oscar Piastri, resorting Hamilton to a 10th-place finish and just one point in the Albert Park rain on Sunday.

In fact, the signs were actually ominous from the wet weather forecast long set for Sunday’s grand prix. Conditions that Hamilton usually revels in actually gave him – to the surprise of the whole paddock – cause for concern.

“I don’t know which buttons I’m going to switch to tomorrow,” he admitted about driving the SF-25 car in the rain, after qualifying a disappointing eighth on the grid. I don’t know what settings we’re going to have to use with the car.”

It seemed an astonishing revelation, and it set the tone for Sunday’s chaotic season-opening race in which Hamilton’s patience wore thin, right from lights out to the chequered flag.

Gradual indications of Hamilton’s angst increasing were played out to the world, as ever, on team radio. After he was paired with new race engineer Riccardo “Ricky” Adami – a 51-year-old Italian stalwart of Ferrari who has previously worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz – an intense 58-lap grand prix placed their new partnership firmly in the spotlight. And, perhaps inevitably after 12 years with the same engineer, Peter “Bono” Bonnington, at Mercedes, there are issues to iron out.