Lewis Hamilton impressed by narrowing the gap to Leclerc, but Ferrari’s overall pace struggles against McLaren remain a serious concern in Melbourne.
Hamilton’s first qualifying session as a Ferrari driver was a mix of encouragement and concern.
The seven-time world champion secured P8 on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix, trailing his teammate Charles Leclerc by just two-tenths of a second. While that’s a promising sign of progress, the bigger picture is more worrying—Ferrari is still significantly off the pace of McLaren and Red Bull.
“I feel good overall,” Hamilton said post-qualifying. “It’s been a really enjoyable experience. Everything is new for me this weekend—first practice sessions, first quali with Ferrari. The adaptation has been tough because this car is so different from anything I’ve driven before, but it’s been fascinating to figure it out.”
However, the gap to the front caught him off guard.
“I didn’t expect to be eight-tenths off pole today. There’s a lot to analyze.”
On a personal level, matching Leclerc’s pace this quickly is a win.
“Charles has been with Ferrari for seven years—he knows the DNA of these cars inside out. I’m still learning, so to be this close in my first qualifying session is a positive.”
But there’s no denying the bigger concern: Ferrari isn’t where it needs to be.
“The overall gap is still a problem. We need to dig deep and understand why we’re not on the pace of the leaders.”
Could rain on race day play into Ferrari’s hands?
“Tomorrow will be a challenge. I’ve never driven this car in the wet. I don’t even know the wet-weather settings yet! So tonight, I’ll study up, and tomorrow will be another big learning experience.”
Hamilton is taking it step by step, but one thing is clear—his Ferrari journey is just getting started.
- Discover More>Piastri Falls Short: Home Pole Slips Away After Q3 Error
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Hamilton Adapts Fast – but Ferrari’s Pace Leaves Questions Open Hamilton Adapts Fast – but Ferrari’s Pace Leaves Questions Open
