A kiss, a podium and a lot of gratitude
Lewis Hamilton smiled again at the top. His third place in China wasn’t just a result, it was confirmation that Ferrari is listening. And for him, that is everything.
“Seeing them listening and incorporating some of the things I had asked for into the car makes me incredibly grateful to them for listening.”
The race was a constant battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc. There was friction, what Hamilton called “just a kiss,” but nothing to dampen the joy of ending a personal drought. He had not been on the podium in a full race since 2024.
The long road of trust
His first year in Maranello was hard. Frustration, a car that is difficult to understand and zero Grand Prix victories. There were such low moments that he even questioned his place on the team.
Now, the mentality is different. The car responded well at the start in Shanghai, allowing him to take the lead. Although it could not contain Mercedes’ unstoppable pace, the feeling is one of progress.
“It’s really special to see them back at the front… And I know we have a lot of work ahead of us to beat them.”
The most beautiful thing came later. On the podium he met familiar faces: his former engineer Bono and Kimi Antonelli, the driver who replaced him at Mercedes and who won the race.
“It’s like sitting here with my whole family, so that’s cool.”
Hamilton is already thinking about next week. He is looking forward to returning to the factory, to continue working side by side with his new team. Trust is built step by step. And this Sunday, they gave a big one.
