Lewis Hamilton's debut with Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix did not unfold as he had hoped. He finished in a disappointing 10th place, lagging behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who managed to secure eighth. The Scuderia faced a challenging weekend marked by strategic errors and missed chances, leaving both drivers disheartened as they struggled to keep pace with their competitors.

The difficulties for Ferrari were apparent from the beginning, but their decision-making during the critical final laps proved to be particularly detrimental. As rain began to complicate the race, most leading drivers opted for intermediate tyres.

In contrast, Ferrari made a risky choice by keeping Hamilton and Leclerc on the track, a decision that ultimately backfired. As the track conditions deteriorated, both drivers fell down the rankings, unable to maintain their positions.

Leclerc openly acknowledged the team's missteps, recognizing the race as a squandered opportunity.

"It was certainly a missed opportunity," Leclerc reflected after the race. "Especially in changing conditions where we lacked pace, that was the moment to earn points, and we failed to do so today.

"We simply weren’t fast enough at the start when the race was relatively uneventful, and then when it was crucial to make the right decision, we didn’t. The first person to blame is myself for the mistake I made out of Turn 11, which cost me four or five positions, and that error put us at a disadvantage.

"If you look at the three or four positions ahead of us, we could have been in third or fourth place, which I believe was achievable. But that’s how it goes."

Weren't quick enough

Ferrari's performance in Melbourne indicated that they are still not at the competitive level expected at the start of the season. The wet conditions further hindered their ability to gather valuable data from the race.

"Regarding today, I don't believe we have gained any new insights compared to what we knew yesterday. The unique conditions made it extremely challenging to derive any meaningful conclusions."

On the day, McLaren proved to be the most formidable team, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen managed to secure second place despite facing an unusually difficult weekend. Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari's speed was insufficient.

"We were significantly slower compared to the McLarens and Max, so we will investigate the issue, but it is clear that we faced challenges today. McLaren and Red Bull were considerably quicker, indicating that we have much work ahead of us."

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