Lewis Hamilton says he’s assured he can have higher outcomes shifting ahead and chase his first Ferrari podium in Hungary after his comeback drive within the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ferrari introduced a brand new rear suspension to Spa-Francorchamps however Hamilton had two early exits throughout each Dash and regular qualifying, ranging from the pit lane on Sunday. In a formidable first stint, Hamilton pulled off plenty of overtakes within the moist after which timed his pit cease completely to rise to seventh place, and he says he unlocked a method of getting higher efficiency from the upgraded automobile by the tip of the weekend.
“Everybody within the group labored so exhausting,” Hamilton mentioned. “We clearly had these upgrades, everybody again within the manufacturing facility labored so exhausting, after which whenever you come and put a efficiency like I had in these previous two days, it is powerful as a result of that is not what the group deserves.
“It wasn’t a case of essentially coming in and never being in the precise thoughts by way of the weekend. There have been a couple of components that did have an effect on, significantly on the Friday – Saturday it was simply me – however I recovered.
“So I bought some factors. We outscored Mercedes on factors, which is nice. Charles [Leclerc] did a terrific job. Clearly the automobile is enhancing as a result of Charles was in a position to maintain on to a different podium. So I am nonetheless going to work exhausting subsequent week to try to get my first one.
“I feel this [race] is unquestionably one to form of put behind me. I positively really feel assured going forwards from right here. Having discovered extra in regards to the automobile at the moment, fine-tuned it, I am going to set that up, go to it for subsequent week, be on the manufacturing facility on Wednesday. So, I do not see why we would not have higher outcomes going ahead.”
A moist climate setup helped Hamilton’s early cost, however he additionally explains how different elements launched in latest races – together with rear brake adjustments – performed a task in his struggles.
“Clearly massively problem for me beginning again there. However I made some adjustments in a single day. A lot within the construct as much as this week – clearly with the improve that we now have, there’s principally two parts to it. A kind of parts, we had it to check again in Montreal, however I did not find yourself testing it, Charles ended up testing it, however he ended up utilizing a part of it for a few races. So he did a terrific job at the moment and is feeling extra acclimatized.
“For me, it was the primary time utilizing it and that spin that we had caught me out as a result of we did not have settings.
“Additionally, a change of engineer. So we had been each in a deep finish principally. I feel we did a very good job in a single day to rectify a few of these [issues] – tweak it and wonderful tune it. And the automobile was so a lot better to drive. So I had a number of enjoyable attempting to make my method by way of.”
The change of engineer pertains to somebody working alongside each Hamilton and his present race engineer Riccardo Adami, with Adami nonetheless audible on the Ferrari driver’s group radio all through the weekend.
“It is not simple to change engineers inside the center of a season. However it’s somebody that I’ve identified for years that was really on my earlier group with me, however not in that place. So we’re getting used to one another and having to be taught tremendous, tremendous fast. I feel the adjustments that we had actually caught each of us out. However I feel we did a terrific job in a single day to be able to get stronger and stronger.”
