Lewis Hamilton says his Ferrari race debut felt like a “crash course” in learning about his new car after finishing a chaotic Australian Grand Prix in 10th place. Hamilton spent the first half of the race running eighth, stuck behind Williams driver Alex Albon, before a mid-race safety car period bunched up the field ahead of a heavy rain shower. When most teams opted to pit their drivers, Ferrari kept Hamilton out, informing him over the radio that it would be a short shower. He initially rose to third and then briefly led the race before conditions became too slippery, forcing Hamilton to pit. The seven-time world champion was overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the final lap to ultimately finish with one point and end the race 22.473 seconds behind winner Lando Norris. “It was definitely a big crash course,” Hamilton told reporters. “I’m just grateful I kept it out of the wall.” Hamilton had not driven a Ferrari F1 car in the wet until the start of Sunday’s race, making him feel like he was “in the deep, deep end” given how differently the car performed. “I didn’t have any confidence today in it, unfortunately,” Hamilton said. “I’m going to make some changes next week to the car, to the setup.”
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