Lewis Hamilton has alarmingly admitted he doesn’t know where the wet switch is in his new Ferrari ahead of what could be a rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion qualified a disappointing eighth in Melbourne, his first competitive outing since his £50million-a-year move from Mercedes.
With rain forecast for race day, Hamilton faces the prospect of driving his unfamiliar Ferrari in wet conditions for the first time.
“I have never driven the car in the wet. I don’t even know where the wet switch is,” Hamilton confessed.
Lewis Hamilton has alarmingly admitted he doesn’t know where the wet switch is in his new Ferrari ahead of what could be a rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix
REUTERS
The 40-year-old’s performance put him more than two-tenths behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who qualified seventh.
McLaren locked out the front row with Lando Norris on pole and Oscar Piastri alongside him.
Max Verstappen starts third, while Mercedes’ George Russell qualified fourth.
Lewis Hamilton remains upbeat despite struggling during Australian Grand Prix qualifying
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Ferrari suffered the embarrassment of qualifying behind not only Russell but also Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Alex Albon.
The gap between Hamilton and Leclerc has been consistent, with the latter outperforming his new team-mate by between two and six-tenths across practice sessions.
Despite the challenging situation, Hamilton remained surprisingly upbeat about his prospects.
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“When you qualify eighth you hope for it to be wet, but for me I have got three laps to learn the car in the wet, and then I have got to go out and race,” he said.
“The wet has often been something I have enjoyed. Growing up in the UK, it has been a comfort zone for me.
“But for the first time in the wet I will be in an uncomfortable position. It will be a shock to the system when I get out there.”
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Hamilton acknowledged his steep learning curve with Ferrari since joining the team.
“I have just been improving every single lap, session on session. It has been a big learning curve this weekend,” he explained.
“The car felt so much different from what I have ever experienced here.
“I got closer and I am happy to be that close to Charles in my first qualifying session against a great qualifier.”
Lewis Hamilton has plenty of work to do, with Lando Norris topping qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix
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Hamilton faces a unique challenge as he prepares for potentially wet conditions at Albert Park.
The unfamiliarity with Ferrari’s systems, including basic functions like the wet switch and brake settings, highlights the significant adjustment period for the British driver.
“We are using Brembo brakes, which I have not used since I was much younger,” Hamilton noted.
Despite these hurdles, the F1 star remains determined to adapt quickly: “I will be learning on the fly and giving it everything.”