Hamilton “gobsmacked” as he gets first Ferrari sprint pole

Seven-time Formulation 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says he’s “a bit gobsmacked” after taking his first dash pole of his nascent Ferrari period.

Hamilton got here to Shanghai after a tough weekend for each himself and Ferrari in Australia, solely managing tenth in Melbourne via an absence of tempo and poor technique.

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However the 40-year-old rebounded strongly in China by taking pole for Saturday’s first dash race of the season in a brand new Shanghai observe document, keeping off reigning world champion Max Verstappen by 0.018 seconds, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri additionally inside a tenth.

“I did not count on that consequence, however so, so pleased and so proud,” Hamilton mentioned.

“Clearly, the final race was a catastrophe for us and clearly we knew that there was extra efficiency within the automobile, however we simply weren’t capable of extract it.

“Coming right here, the automobile actually got here alive from lap one. We made some nice adjustments – the workforce did a unbelievable job via the break to get the automobile prepared.

“I am a bit in shock. I can not consider we truly obtained a pole within the dash. It is not the primary race, so we have got work to do for tomorrow, however this places us in good stead for the race.

“It is wonderful to see the primary as you cease and be within the purple automobile. It is fairly unimaginable.”

Increasing on his qualifying effort to Sky Sports activities F1, Hamilton mentioned that he wasn’t certain when Ferrari could be able to compete on the entrance given McLaren’s early dominance, and he was “gobsmacked” to already be capable to battle with the Woking squad.

“I am only a bit gobsmacked – I used to be a bit taken again by it,” he mentioned.

“I did not know once we would get to this place and, after final weekend, it was a tough begin to the week.

“We got here right here with simply aggression and wanting to enter the weekend and actually get the automobile into an excellent place.

“I began out immediately with a greater feeling within the automobile and I simply can’t consider that we’re on the entrance and forward of McLaren, which has been so quick all through winter testing and clearly within the final race and even immediately.

“I am actually grateful simply to be up there combating with these nice drivers and to be so shut to those different groups.”

Hamilton defined he’s nonetheless racing into the unknown for Saturday morning’s dash as he hasn’t achieved a correct race run in dry situations but within the SF-25.

“I did not get to do a race run in Bahrain,” he mentioned. “Clearly, we did the race final weekend within the moist, however tomorrow will probably be sort of my first actual race run, and Sunday will probably be my first correct race run within the dry with this automobile.

“So, I will be studying. I am hoping that we are able to maintain on to it. However I feel the McLarens are very, very, very quick, as is Max, however we’re in a great place.”