Australian GP: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari radio calls must be better – Fred Vasseur
Fred Vasseur has called on Ferrari to improve its in-race communication with Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time world champion made a disappointing debut with the Italian team at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton started the race eighth but finished 10th after spending a large part of the grand prix stuck behind Alex Albon’s Williams and mistiming a switch from slicks to intermediates towards the end of the race.
Pit-to-car radio communications appeared to be an issue, with Hamilton repeatedly telling his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, not to remind him about using a power setting known as “K1” as well as bristling against advice over when to time gearshifts with the use of the DRS overtaking aid.
Hamilton briefly led the race in the closing stages, but only by virtue of staying out on slick tyres in wet conditions while the rest of the filed switched to intermediates. The decision ultimately cost him a handful of positions, leaving him 10th at the finish.
“It was the first race, the first time that we have to communicate between the pit wall and the car, and we can do a better job and know each other more,” Vasseur said. “For sure it was not a clean one at all, the strategy was difficult and we need to find a better way to communicate between the car and the pit wall but we will learn from Race 1 and it is not an issue.
Given the wet conditions on Sunday, Vasseur said Hamilton’s struggles were to be expected in his first race with the team.
“It was not a shock but for sure it was not a good weekend for us. But we focus on next week [the Chinese Grand Prix] and learn a lot from this weekend because we made a mistakes,” he said.
“We need to improve the communication, understand what Lewis needs from the communication, and it is only in this situation that we can be in the situation. We will be much better next week.”
Hamilton said his main issue with the car in Australia was a lack of confidence in high-speed corners. He believes he made progress through the practice sessions but went back to square one when it rained on Sunday.
“I definitely made a step,” he said. “I think for me, it was just confidence, building the confidence.
“From the moment I got in the car on Friday, I didn’t have the confidence, particularly all the high speed, I was down a huge amount.
“And it got to Saturday, the confidence was coming back, I was building, building, building. Then we got to the race, and again, starting from scratch, and I didn’t have any confidence pretty much through most of the race.
“But I think in the settings as well, I think the car was very tricky.
“I’ve learned a huge amount this weekend, there’s a lot to take away from it. I’ve got some changes I’ve got to make for next week, and I’ll see how it goes.
“Today was a crash course in driving a Ferrari in the rain.”
Source: espn.com