Lewis Hamilton details positive aspect of recent Ferrari 'shortcomings'

Lewis Hamilton has outlined a positive detail amid Ferrari's shortcomings this year. The seven-time champion has not enjoyed a positive first campaign with the Italian squad and is still awaiting his first podium for the team. Ferrari entered the year hoping to challenge for the F1 title, but has been unable to keep up with runaway leaders McLaren. Hamilton has consistently been outpaced by team-mate Charles Leclerc, but has been routinely defended by team principal Fred Vasseur, who lured Hamilton to Ferrari from Mercedes. "Fred supporting me has been amazing," Hamilton told media including RacingNews365 . "It's not been the perfect year, as we know, but it's been a lot of learning, and I think we're just going from strength to strength. "I think we are more solid and more united as a team than ever before." With new regulations coming into play next year, it presents Ferrari with an opportunity to make a jump to the head of the pecking order. The Maranello is in the midst of a title drought and has not sealed a championship since 2008. Hamilton highlighted Ferrari can ensure its unsuccessful approaches this year can be rectified in time for when it is fighting for a title. "There are clearly things that we need to improve on, but we're under no illusions that that's the case," he said. "Everyone is just flat-out focused on improvement processes and really, right now each race, we're learning something. "We look at the last race and our shortcomings are things that it's better to have now when we're not fighting for a championship, than in the moment we are."