SHANGHAI, March 15 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton said his first win for Ferrari was looking closer after the seven-times Formula One world champion ended a long wait for a podium with the Italian team at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The most successful driver of all time finished third behind his former team Mercedes in what the 41-year-old said had been possibly his most enjoyable race.
It was his first podium since 2024, when he was at Mercedes.
"I definitely feel like I’m back to my best, both mentally and physically," he said. "I still think there’s room to improve."
Hamilton joined the Italian team in January last year but endured a season without a grand prix podium for the first time in his career.
"I definitely feel that I could say that it’s more in sight than ever before," he said of the chances of a first win since his move to Maranello.
"Last year it couldn’t have been further from view.
"I really do believe in everyone back in Maranello and that it’s not an impossible feat to overcome. So yeah, forza Ferrari, we’ve just got to keep pushing."
ANTONELLI TAKES HIS FIRST WIN
The race was won by Italian Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old who took Hamilton's seat last year savouring a first win, with former teammate George Russell second on a podium that offered a snapshot of Mercedes's past, present and future.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the podium, with Hamilton's former race engineer and Antonelli's current engineer Peter Bonnington joining the trio to collect the winning constructors' trophy, was one of the best moments of his life and he felt overwhelmed.
Hamilton congratulated Antonelli and the team with which he won six of his seven titles.
"I had so much fun and we had a great start. I wasn't able to keep these guys behind, but to stay in the fight, it was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in a long time, if ever," said the Briton, who waged a thrilling battle with teammate Charles Leclerc.
The one-two was Mercedes' second in two grands prix, with Russell leading Antonelli in Australia last weekend and still leading the championship by four points.
Hamilton, with his mother on hand to witness his achievement on the day celebrated as Mother's Day in Britain, led briefly at the start and said he had learnt some lessons from the opening race where he finished fourth.
"We learned a lot in the main race (in Melbourne), brought it into this race," Hamilton told Sky Sports television.
"Still some improvements to be made but my race pace has been really good, particularly on the hard tyres in these first two races.
"To fight back and get to third was a hell of a push but just a massive big thank you to Ferrari for my first podium for them. It's a huge moment for me."
Hamilton said his scrap with Leclerc, their cars even touching briefly, was what racing was all about and made clear how much he was enjoying the new generation of cars.
"The cars are easier to follow, much better than past years. You can get very close. There’s not a bad wake where you’re losing too much downforce. I think it’s the best racing that I’ve ever experienced in Formula One," he said.
"Hopefully it was an exciting race to watch for you guys because it was awesome in the car. It felt like go-karting, back and forth, back and forth, and you could really position your car in a nice way."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
