Esteban Ocon backs Lewis Hamilton to succeed at Ferrari despite turbulent start

Esteban Ocon has thrown his support behind Lewis Hamilton amid the latter's difficult start to life at Scuderia Ferrari. The French driver expressed optimism that the 40-year-old would succeed at the Italian team despite the string of underwhelming performances.

Hamilton’s high-profile switch to the Ferrari team at the end of the last season, which sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 scene, has so far not gone according to plan. The British driver has largely struggled to adapt to the demands of the Maranello outfit's car philosophy and, most recently, could only finish in eighth place at the Miami Grand Prix in another challenging weekend.

Lewis Hamilton’s underwhelming start to life with the Italian team has gradually triggered doubt and criticism of his racing craft across the scene. However, amid this wave of criticism, Esteban Ocon has shown support for the veteran driver.

Speaking to RacingNews365, the Haas driver detailed the difficulty of adapting to the demands of the Ferrari engine and his belief that Lewis Hamilton will eventually succeed with the team.

"It's very difficult, especially when you change car philosophy. The Haas car and the Ferrari car have a lot of similarities, so I can relate to Lewis on that side. I have driven the Mercedes as well in the past, so it is a very different way of driving the car or extracting the potential of it."

"The car feels very different, so it is not easy for sure to adapt to that. But I am sure he will find a way very quickly,” the one-time F1 race winner concluded.

Through the first six races with the Ferrari team so far, Lewis Hamilton’s best result remains his fifth-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. While he has claimed podiums at the two Sprint races, he has yet to replicate any of those performances during a full Grand Prix weekend. The British driver will now shift his focus to recording an improved performance at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.

Lewis Hamilton blasts Ferrari engineer during battle with Ocon in Miami

Lewis Hamilton lost his cool with his race engineer during his tense on-track battle with Esteban Ocon at the Miami Grand Prix. The British driver was completing an overtake when he received a message from his engineer, Riccardo Adami.

The former McLaren driver, who suffered a torrid start to the race after qualifying in 12th place, had made a quick pass on Isack Hadjar to climb up to 11th. However, while he was attempting to make his pass on Ocon on lap 22, Adami radioed in, prompting an irritated response from the seven-time champion.

“Stop talking to me while I’m freaking battling, man! Geesh! In the braking zone, you’re talking to me!”

The heated radio exchange appeared to set the tone for the rest of his conversation with his race engineer, as a frustrated Hamilton offered several sarcastic remarks in response to the radio messages he received during the remainder of the Grand Prix. The British driver completed the race in eighth place—a result that largely underscores his difficult start to life at the Italian outfit.

Next up for Lewis Hamilton is one of Ferrari’s home races—the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix—where he will aim for a better outing at a circuit where he previously claimed victory with Mercedes during the 2020 season.