Lewis Hamilton has managed to find some success in just his second race weekend for Ferrari after winning the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race for them.
It was significant for Ferrari to bounce back after a woeful season-opener in Melbourne, where both cars finished outside the top six.
Hamilton in particular appeared lost during his debut and struggled to pick up one point in the wet conditions.
It was a worrying start for the 39-year-old, chasing a record eighth drivers’ championship and his first without a Mercedes engine.
Hamilton ‘completely destroyed’ Charles Leclerc at the Chinese Grand Prix and managed his tyres far better than his new teammate during the sprint.
All the experience he has is going to be very valuable this season and is why Zak Brown and Oscar Piastri called Hamilton ‘pretty special’ after he returned to the top step of the podium.
READ MORE: Ferrari video shows what George Russell did as Lewis Hamilton celebrated at Chinese Grand Prix
Martin Brundle pleased to see ‘transformed’ Lewis Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix
Few would have predicted Hamilton’s rapid turnaround at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he managed both pole position and victory during the sprint.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle spoke of how he has seen the seven-time champion transform this weekend.
“Different track layout of course. We’ve got this brand new surface – very grippy. Completely different temperatures to race day in Melbourne,” he said.
“Right from the get-go, Lewis looked at one with the car and the track. I didn’t see a single lap last week in Australia where he looked at one with the car. He was struggling, wasn’t particularly fast.
“He was running off the road. Something’s transformed. He was able to dial into the car in this new environment and really make it sing.”
READ MORE: Damon Hill comes up with new nickname for Lewis Hamilton after ‘awesome’ Sprint pole at Chinese Grand Prix
Has Lewis Hamilton fixed his Formula 1 qualifying issues at Ferrari?
During his final few seasons at Mercedes, Hamilton faced an extreme issue which he no longer has at Ferrari.
The Italian chassis is far easier to push the limits of, which gives him more confidence over one lap and helps to solve his qualifying woes.
He outqualified Leclerc for the first time at the Chinese Grand Prix, beating him by just under one-tenth of a second.
It’s a good sign for the Brit and a clear indication that he has plenty of raw speed left as he approaches his 40th birthday this summer.
His attention now turns to Sunday’s race, where from 5th on the grid, he will be bidding to claim a first official victory in scarlet red.
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