Hamilton's Strong Belief in Ferrari's Potential

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has dismissed any suggestions of doubt in his new Ferrari team, stating he has "absolute 100% faith" in their ability to compete despite a challenging start to the 2024 season.

The British driver made these comments ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, where Ferrari hopes to rebound from mixed results in the opening races.

Early Season Struggles for Ferrari

Ferrari currently sits fifth in the constructors' championship after two races, including a double disqualification for Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc in China due to technical infringements. This came despite Hamilton winning the Shanghai sprint race.

"I saw someone said something about whether I'm losing faith in the team, which is complete rubbish," Hamilton told BBC Sport. "I have absolute 100% faith in this team."

Challenges of Team Transition

Hamilton emphasized the difficulties of switching teams after 11 years with Mercedes:

• Adapting to new technical systems
• Learning different car characteristics
• Missed testing opportunities (Abu Dhabi 2023 and Bahrain)
• Limited dry running before China

"It likes to be driven differently," Hamilton said of the Ferrari. "China was the first time I'd actually done a long run in the dry."

Leclerc Remains Optimistic

Teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished ahead of Hamilton in China despite first-lap damage, drew comparisons to Ferrari's 2023 recovery:

"If we go back to last year... the situation was quite a bit worse than where we are now. We ended up actually fighting for the championship. Small steps after small steps – we can still have an amazing season."

Key Statistics

Upcoming Schedule

• Japanese Grand Prix: April 4-6 at Suzuka
• Race Start: 06:00 BST Sunday
• BBC Coverage: Live on Radio 5 Live, text updates on BBC Sport

The team now looks to Suzuka for redemption, where damp conditions could play to Ferrari's strengths after Hamilton gained wet-weather experience in Australia.