Lewis Hamilton might have solely simply begun his Ferrari journey, however he’s already delivered a victory — clinching the Dash race on the Chinese language Grand Prix from pole place. Whereas his final purpose stays a full Grand Prix win on Sunday, his early success marks a major milestone in his profession with the Scuderia.
Regardless of that second of triumph, Hamilton has confronted challenges throughout full race weekends. In Australia, he certified solely eighth for his Ferrari debut and crossed the end line in tenth place, struggling to make headway by the midfield. Following the excessive of his Shanghai Dash victory, Hamilton couldn’t replicate the tempo on Sunday and made the tactical determination to yield to his sooner teammate, Charles Leclerc. Though he initially completed sixth, he was later disqualified as a consequence of extreme plank put on — a irritating setback in his marketing campaign.
The difficulties continued at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, the place Hamilton once more certified eighth, this time 4 locations behind Leclerc. He managed to overhaul rookie Isack Hadjar however spent many of the race in clear air, finally ending a distant seventh, with Mercedes’ younger alternative Kimi Antonelli outpacing him in an eye catching efficiency.
Heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton finds himself eighth within the Drivers’ Championship standings. But regardless of the on-track struggles, his affect inside Ferrari is already being felt off-track. Throughout a latest episode of the Past the Grid podcast, Ferrari ambassador Marc Gené praised the Briton’s fast affect throughout technical briefings, highlighting his rising position behind the scenes.
Lewis Hamilton’s behind-the-scenes affect already benefiting Ferrari
Though Lewis Hamilton remains to be adapting to his new setting, he’s begun integrating rapidly. Over the winter, he drove Ferrari’s 2023 and 2024 equipment throughout Testing of Earlier Vehicles (TPC) classes on the Circuit de Catalunya and Fiorano. He additionally participated in round one and a half days of pre-season testing in Bahrain, although his mileage was restricted as a consequence of mechanical points.
Now that he’s reached the restrict of his TPC allocation, Lewis Hamilton is feeling the constraints of contemporary F1’s cost-cap period, which restricts how a lot a driver can take a look at. Ferrari stay assured that after he’s absolutely settled into the workforce and the SF-25, the seven-time System 1 world champion’s full potential will emerge — however when that can occur stays unsure.
Within the meantime, Ferrari have been proactive in adjusting to Lewis Hamilton’s preferences. Over the winter, the workforce modified his driving place, as he prefers to take a seat additional again within the cockpit. Additionally they tailor-made his steering wheel to higher swimsuit his dealing with fashion — a small however telling instance of their dedication to creating him really feel at residence.
Marc Gené emphasised the British driver’s exemplary method to working with the Maranello workforce, noting that the 40-year-old Briton is already contributing precious insights throughout debriefs and technical discussions. His suggestions and preparation have been described as “essential,” reinforcing the view inside Maranello that Lewis Hamilton’s presence brings extra than simply driving expertise — it brings management, expertise, and a championship mindset.
Marc Gene acknowledged that it was nonetheless early days in attending to know Lewis Hamilton, however confused that no person might query the Briton’s expertise. The previous Ferrari take a look at driver famous Hamilton’s huge expertise and identified that it was clear he understood precisely what he wanted, which, in keeping with Gene, defined the numerous progress made between Melbourne and China.
He went on to say that switching groups in fashionable System 1 is extraordinarily tough as a consequence of restricted testing alternatives, and that adapting to new dynamics and tools just like the steering wheel takes time. Nonetheless, Marc Gene highlighted that even at this early stage, Hamilton was already offering essential insights throughout workforce briefings.
The Maranello workforce are set to debut a brand new ground improve at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, marking an important step of their early-season growth push. Whereas the modification might present a efficiency enhance, latest tendencies counsel it would take a while earlier than the Scuderia can absolutely unlock its potential on observe.
The 2025 System 1 drivers’ championship is already shaping as much as be a fierce contest between Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri, who’ve emerged because the standout performers. Though Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton stay in rivalry, each drivers at the moment path the lead trio by over 40 factors—a major hole even at this stage of the season.
With Crimson Bull and McLaren constantly delivering robust outcomes, Ferrari now face added stress to make their newest technical updates depend. Whereas the workforce continues to extract stable performances from its SF-25 chassis, they seem—on uncooked tempo—to be the fourth-fastest outfit within the discipline. Some metrics would possibly rank them third, particularly when contemplating the uneven performances of Crimson Bull’s two drivers, however consistency stays a problem.
If Ferrari hope to re-enter the title dialog—each within the drivers’ and constructors’ championships—this Bahrain improve might show important. The workforce will probably be watching intently to see whether or not the revised ground can assist shut the hole to their closest rivals or if additional growth will probably be required within the coming rounds.
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