Ferrari and Hamilton are 'primarily relieved' in China - Gene

      "I would say Ferrari feels more relieved."

      Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton have made a comeback.

      "We were completely taken by surprise," long-time development driver and spokesperson Marc Gene shared with DAZN after observing Hamilton secure victory in the sprint race from pole position in Shanghai.

      "I wouldn’t have wagered a single euro of my own money on that," he chuckled.

      Indeed, Hamilton was behind teammate Charles Leclerc in Australia, but what was even more concerning for the Maranello team was their difficulty in even achieving minor points.

      When asked if the performance turnaround in China pleased him, Gene replied, "Happy, yes, but primarily relieved." He added, "There were still some uncertainties about whether what happened in Australia was genuine."

      "Where better to put that to rest than on a demanding track like Shanghai?" Gene continued. "And with such high temperatures, which we are likely to encounter more frequently this year."

      Gene was also asked if he thought Hamilton, at 40, would feel relieved to dismiss all the criticism and skeptics.

      "I would say Ferrari feels more relieved," Gene stated. "Lewis felt relieved in Australia when he qualified just a tenth behind Charles, as he recognized he was nearing the pace."

      "This was crucial for Ferrari. We’re a team where successes and failures are amplified, resulting in significant pressure at Maranello, on the engineers, and on the mechanics."

      During the Shanghai sprint, Hamilton easily clinched victory from pole position, while McLaren and Red Bull faced challenges with tire wear. Lando Norris’ championship lead over Max Verstappen was reduced to just 2 points, as McLaren encountered a tough sprint.

      "However, this result doesn’t mean we were at the bottom before and are suddenly at the top now," Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur cautioned. "It’s still very competitive at the top."

      "Sometimes McLaren has a significant advantage and at other times they do not, so now we need to analyze the data."

      Norris mentioned he was aware weeks ago that while his McLaren was quick, it was particularly tricky to handle. "We experienced this issue in the Bahrain test, just not as severely," he noted.

      Teammate Oscar Piastri concurred: "Our car is challenging to manage in windy conditions."

      When asked if Verstappen might finish better than third in the main Chinese GP, Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told Osterreich, "I hope so.

      "But something needs to change for that to happen. Once our tires start to wear, McLaren is a second quicker.

      "We are currently facing exceptionally high tire wear over the duration of a full race."

      Mercedes’ George Russell stirred up discussions earlier this weekend by stating that McLaren’s real advantage is greater than anything Red Bull has ever enjoyed.

      "He’s correct," Marko affirmed. "They also try to bluff as much as possible. McLaren is clearly in a superior position."