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Christian Horner Speaks on Lewis Hamilton’s Disastrous Ferrari Debut in Australia

Lewis Hamilton endured a rough start to his Ferrari career at the Australian Grand Prix, as a strategic miscalculation in tricky weather conditions saw him finish a disappointing P10. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner didn’t hesitate to take a dig at Ferrari’s costly mistake, pointing out the obvious errors in their decision-making.

The race at Melbourne’s Albert Park was affected by sudden rainfall, which put teams under pressure to make quick strategy calls. As the track became increasingly wet, most front-running teams opted to pit their drivers for wet-weather tyres at the right time. However, Ferrari’s pit wall hesitated, failing to bring in both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc when the rain started to fall heavily. This delay cost them valuable time as their slick tyres became ineffective on the soaked track. By the time they eventually made the switch, they had lost multiple positions, dropping down the order significantly.

Horner, speaking after the race, commented on Ferrari’s ill-timed decision, making it clear that he saw their strategy as an obvious blunder. “It looked like they were taking a bit of a gamble, and then they probably aborted at the worst time,” he told the media, suggesting that Ferrari’s hesitation only worsened the situation.

The Red Bull boss added that, from his perspective, it was clear when teams needed to react to the changing conditions. “I think you’ve always got to react to what’s happening around you,” Horner explained. “When it’s pouring down in the pit lane, it’s usually a good time to put some wet tyres on!” His sarcastic remark highlighted how obvious the decision should have been for Ferrari, implying that their delay in calling Hamilton and Leclerc into the pits was a glaring mistake.

While Red Bull had their own race to manage, Horner’s comments suggest that Ferrari’s strategy errors were noticeable to everyone watching. Hamilton’s much-anticipated debut with the Italian team had already been under intense scrutiny, and this misstep only added to the pressure. Meanwhile, Leclerc also suffered from the poor timing of his pit stop, leaving Ferrari to reflect on what went wrong in their first major test of the season.

Hamilton, who made the high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025, would have hoped for a stronger start with his new team. Instead, his first race in red was marred by strategic misjudgments, leading to a frustrating result. With the season still young, Ferrari will need to learn from their mistakes quickly if they want to challenge Red Bull’s dominance. However, Horner’s comments suggest that, at least for now, their rivals are finding amusement in Ferrari’s struggles.