“I've heard so much yapping along the way”: Lewis Hamilton claps back at ‘critics’ after his Chinese GP sprint win

Lewis Hamilton hit back at the critics after a dominant display during the 2025 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint, winning the event with a lead of over six seconds over Oscar Piastri in P2. He was able to lead all the way from the start to the chequered flag.

In just his second race with Ferrari, Hamilton was able to unleash the power of the SF-25 as he put himself in pole position for the Sprint yesterday and won the event today. Max Verstappen closely battled him but the Briton was able to keep the lead despite some tire wear.

"I woke up feeling great today," Lewis Hamilton said after the race. "The first race [in Australia] was difficult. I really do feel a lot of people underestimated the steep climb it is to get into a new team, become acclimatised within the team, understanding and communication - all sorts of things."

After his first race for the team in Australia, both Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari were under the critics' radar as he wasn't comfortable enough to battle with the car. Moreover, a late-timed pit stop cost the team multiple positions. However, after his glorious result in the Sprint, Hamilton addressed the critics, asserting that they underestimated the challenges of adapting to a new team.

"The amount of critics and people I heard, yapping along the way, clearly not understanding maybe because they never had the experience or were unaware."

He also admitted that he was uncomfortable with the car while racing in Melbourne but was able to get a much better hold of the handling after coming to China.

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Lewis Hamilton reflects on driving a more comfortable car in China

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend has been strong for Ferrari so far, especially for the likes of Lewis Hamilton, who clinched the Sprint pole position yesterday with a record-breaking time.

These results have showcased a much better version of the SF-25 when compared to their performance in Australia last week. At the same time, however, it could also be Hamilton's good adaptation to the car. He reflected that it has been much more comfortable to drive in Shanghai.

"It felt great to come here and be more comfortable in the car because in Melbourne I didn't feel great in the car. From Lap 1 this weekend we have been on it," Lewis Hamilton added.

"The engineers and mechanics have done a great job to finetune the car and it felt great."

He collected eight points for the team while his teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished in P5, bagging another four points. He was in a close battle with George Russell in the final laps but wasn't able to make the overtake because of the car's handling in turn 13 which hampered any chances of gaining the position.