Hamilton admits no regret joining Ferrari in candid reflection on debut season

Speaking to GPblog during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, the British driver stood by his move to the Maranello-based outfit, saying he doesn’t regret signing a contract with Ferrari despite a challenging first season.

“I would absolutely say I don't regret the decision I made in joining the team. I know it takes time to build and grow within an organisation, and I expected that, so yes,” he said.

Hamilton, however, was not keen on looking back at his first year with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion was quick to brush off questions about how his debut season had unfolded.

Pressed further on whether he had any particular verdict on his season, he added:

While Hamilton was unwilling to delve deeply into the details of his maiden campaign, the 40-year-old did not hold back his praise for the Ferrari team staff and its fans, which he described as passionate.

“The passion is the most special thing about the brand and the people who work for it, and then the Tifosi as we travel around the world—the amazing support that we get,” he said.

“That probably makes it even harder when we have the more difficult weekends, because you can see how passionate, dedicated, and hard every single person is working back at the factory, and when the results aren’t reflecting or rewarding them, you feel it even more. It’s a big emotional bubble that’s quite precious,” he concluded.

While recent races have not gone the way Hamilton had envisaged, the former Mercedes driver remains optimistic about an improved weekend in Qatar.

Hamilton, however, was unsure whether Ferrari would be able to match the pace of Red Bull Racing.

“It might be hard to keep up with Red Bull, but I'm hoping for a better weekend," he concluded.

Hamilton has had anything but a stellar debut campaign with Ferrari. The frustrations from a string of underwhelming results were evident last time out at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he described his season as the worst of his 18-year career.

Stay in on the act as the Qatar Grand Prix weekend unfolds. Enjoy every inside scoop and analysis from the F1 paddock as the action continues at the Lusial international circuit.

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