Lewis Hamilton wants to avoid one thing Carlos Sainz took “a couple of years” to get used to driving the Ferrari car

Lewis Hamilton detailed his thoughts on his adaptation to the Scuderia Ferrari car following the conclusion of the Austrian Grand Prix. The 40-year-old stressed the need to avoid the subtle challenge his predecessor, Carlos Sainz, experienced during his time with the team.

The British driver, who had largely endured an underwhelming start to his spell at the Ferrari outfit, has often played second fiddle to current teammate Charles Leclerc. Hamilton has also, on occasion, aired his frustration regarding the SF-25 challenger.

Following his outing at the Spielberg race, the seven-time world champion detailed his need to swiftly adjust to the unique characteristics of the Italian team’s car.

"Just struggling with the balance. He [Charles Leclerc] drives a massively oversteering car. Somehow slides the rear, so it doesn’t have degradation,” Hamilton explained via Autosport.

"When I slide the rear, I get massive degradation. It’s definitely something I think you have to get used to. Supposedly, it took Carlos [Sainz] a couple of years to get used to. I don’t want to do that."

Lewis Hamilton, however, appears to be making progress with his adaptation to driving the Ferrari car. The former Mercedes driver recorded his best qualifying result at the Austrian Grand Prix and also equalled his best points finish—fourth place—since his switch to the Maranello-based team.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on his Austrian GP race

Lewis Hamilton also weighed in on his outing at the Austrian Grand Prix. The British driver, who finished the race in fourth place, was brimming with positivity following the conclusion of the event.

The result, which also saw him match his joint-best Grand Prix finish for the Ferrari team, saw him finish over 30 seconds ahead of George Russell in fifth place. Reflecting on what he dubbed a positive outing for the team, Hamilton stated:

"It’s been a solid weekend for the team – we continued to improve our qualifying pace and the team did a great job throughout. We didn’t have the race pace we expected, but still, we came away with some solid points and a podium, which is something we can be proud of.

We’ll analyze the data carefully to understand where improvements can be made. Thank you to everyone at the track and at the factory for their hard work and commitment. We remain focused and I’m looking forward to my first home Grand Prix with Ferrari."

Lewis Hamilton’s result at the Spielberg circuit saw him continue his points-scoring streak since joining the Ferrari team. While a podium has proven elusive for the 40-year-old, he will hope to achieve his maiden podium finish when Formula 1 heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix—a race he claimed victory in during the 2024 edition.