Upbeat Hamilton Says Ferrari 'Can Close the Gap' on McLaren

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton before practice REUTERS/Mark Peterson/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton before practice REUTERS/Mark Peterson/File Photo
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Upbeat Hamilton Says Ferrari 'Can Close the Gap' on McLaren

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton before practice REUTERS/Mark Peterson/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton before practice REUTERS/Mark Peterson/File Photo

An upbeat Lewis Hamilton declared Thursday things would be different at the Chinese Grand Prix after a disappointing debut with Ferrari in Melbourne, saying his new team "can close the gap" on McLaren.

The seven-time world champion qualified eighth and finished 10th at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"I'm just going to set the car up a bit different this weekend," Hamilton told reporters ahead of his second outing in red at the Shanghai International Circuit, where he has won on a record six occasions.

"I think as I get more and more comfortable and more knowledgeable about the car, I can start making more decisions (about its set-up)," he added, according to AFP.

"I'm having those discussions and going to lean a little bit more with adding my experience."

Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate George Russell told reporters that McLaren, whose Lando Norris won in Australia, were quick enough to win every race.

But Hamilton cautioned: "It has only been one race. Yes, McLaren has done a great job and they're looking very strong.

"We're still just taking the time to learn the car and to be able to extract more from it.

"We definitely have work to do, I don't think we're on the pace of the McLarens, but I think we can close the gap."

Hamilton conceded it had been a poor weekend for Ferrari in Melbourne, where the team strategists gambled and lost on leaving him out on slick tyres when he was leading as rain returned.

"I mean, it wasn't the race that we wanted but it's not a moment to throw the toys out the pram," said Hamilton.

Teammate Charles Leclerc was eighth, meaning Ferrari's dismal five points from the race was their worst season-opening performance since 2009.

"It is what it is. One small thing could have made a big difference in our result, but yeah, we move forward," said Hamilton.

"Everyone's still motivated. You got everyone here with their heads high, the energy is still good in the garage.

"We're not going to be defined by that one race."



Manchester City Strike Late for 2-0 Victory at Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 19, 2025 Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 19, 2025 Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
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Manchester City Strike Late for 2-0 Victory at Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 19, 2025 Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 19, 2025 Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Manchester City moved a step closer to Champions League football next season as Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic scored in the final five minutes to secure a 2-0 win over Everton in their Premier League clash at Goodison Park on Saturday.
City move up to fourth with 58 points from 33 matches, four points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea and Aston Villa in seventh, but they have played a game more. The top five qualify for the Champions League next season.
O’Reilly stabbed the ball home from four meters after connecting with Matheus Nunes’s low cross before Kovacic drilled in the second goal from the edge of the box to make sure of the win.
It was hard work for City for 85 minutes as they battled to create clear-cut chances, while home defender James Tarkowski struck the post with a header from a corner in the first half for Everton, who remain 13th with 38 points from 33 games, Reuters reported.
There will be relief for City manager Pep Guardiola as his side came up against the fired-up hosts in a hostile atmosphere in the third-last league game at the famous old ground before Everton move to a new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.
"We had to work hard," City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan told the BBC. "This ground is always tough to come and play at with the way they approach the game.
"We had to be careful, maybe at the beginning we didn't want to risk it too much. We came out in the second half to perform and we have done that in a brilliant way. Definitely deserved to get the three points."
The home side had their moments and their manager David Moyes can take some positives out of the game but was left to rue a hamstring injury to Tarkowski that forced the defender off.
"I thought for 60 minutes we were okay, we played well and gave them a good game," Moyes said. "Tarky (Tarkowski) coming off changes a lot of things in the game.
"Their subs made a difference and ours didn't. They took control in the second half."
Everton came closest in the first half when Tarkowski struck the post with a header from a corner, before Jake O’Brien headed off the line to keep out Kevin De Bruyne’s goal-bound shot.
City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega then made a superb point-blank save to stop Jarrad Branthwaite’s header.
But the visitors tightened their grip on the game in the closing stages and once O’Reilly opened the scoring the fight went out of the home side.