Lewis Hamilton issues Ferrari update with new ‘processes’ put into place

Documents and process, whatever he can bring to the table, Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari continues to improve even though he fell short of a debut podium at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Hamilton lined up fourth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday and was fighting Max Verstappen before a 10-second penalty cost him a possible podium position.

Can Lewis Hamilton help Ferrari secure P2?

⦁ Lewis Hamilton fell short of a debut podium in Mexico
⦁ Driver buoyed by Ferrari’s improved ‘processes’
⦁ Charles Leclerc agrees a ‘little bit everywhere’

Hamilton lined up third at at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez grid and vowed to be aggressive on the opening lap as he chased his first podium in Ferrari colours.

The two clashed in two incidents in the opening six laps as Hamilton was noted by Race Control before being penalised 10 seconds when they went wheel-to-wheel down to Turn 4.

Running off the track during their Turn 4 tussle, and taking to the run-off before rejoining via the chute at Turn 6, Hamilton was noted by Race Control.

He was handed a 10-second penalty having “gained a lasting advantage” in their battle.

The Briton argued that Verstappen had pushed him off the track, but the stewards ruled that Hamilton had contravened the regulations.

The former Mercedes driver finished the race in eighth place.

But despite his troubles with the stewards on Sunday, Hamilton believes Ferrari made notable gains off of it with their off-track processes.

“We’ve not really moved the car forward necessarily in development, but we’ve extracted more from it,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media in Mexico City. “Our process is better this weekend, and that’s what you’re seeing. So, grazie a tutti.

“We continue to improve on our process — from the moment we arrive, to our debriefs, to the decisions we make as a team within engineering, within when we going out — all these different things.

“So I think we’re just continuously tightening up on some of those areas. And I think just how Charles and I have worked together to move the car and develop it forward has been really positive over the race weekends.

“Our cars are pretty much identical now, and I’m finally figuring out how to drive this car that Charles has been fortunate to drive for the past seven years, in terms of the characteristics. But I’m finally feeling like I’m getting there. So it’s good.”

Charles Leclerc quizzed on Hamilton’s ‘processes’

Second on the podium on Sunday, Charles Leclerc doesn’t believe there was a “silver bullet” in Mexico that granted him a podium finish.

Rather he put it down to Hamilton’s aforementioned processes and small details from the team.

“I don’t think there’s a silver bullet or something that we’ve changed significantly that makes us a lot better now than three, four, five races ago.

“I think it’s a little bit everywhere.

“Like Lewis was saying earlier, I think the processes and all the small differences make a big difference at the end, and we improved all that in the last few weekends.

“Yeah, on the bumps, I don’t think this was particularly a weakness at any point. I think we had to manage some other things at one point of the season, which now we are in a bit more of a comfortable place.

“But yeah, the pace in itself is more down to small details everywhere rather than something standing out.”

The fight for P2 in the teams’ standings is separated by 10 points

While McLaren has first place in the Constructors’ Championship sewn up, doing so in Singapore already, the battle to join the Woking team on the season’s podium has yet to be decided.

Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are all in the mix, separated by just 10 points with four race weekends remaining.

Although early in the season it looked to be a shoot-out between Ferrari and Mercedes, Max Verstappen’s recent gains – joined by Yuki Tsunoda’s handful of points – have put Red Bull in the fight.

While Ferrari and Mercedes have traded blows, Verstappen and Red Bull have slowly closed the gap with a maximum 188 points in play.

McLaren is, barring disaster, sure to take some of those points leaving Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull to squabble over the rest.

It promises to be an intense fight all the way through to the night lights of Abu Dhabi.

Read next: Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen: Mexican GP penalty triggers Marko admission