Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari will trial new setup ideas in Monaco, targeting improved F1 qualifying pace after recent struggles in Imola.
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Ferrari and he will be testing new ideas to improve their qualifying performance at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion achieved his best result of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, climbing impressively from 12th on the grid to finish fourth.
Not only was this Hamilton’s best Grand Prix result for Ferrari, but also the first time he outperformed teammate Charles Leclerc on a Sunday, with Leclerc having otherwise dominated this year.
Qualifying has been Ferrari’s main weakness in 2025, with both Hamilton and Leclerc suffering a disastrous double Q2 elimination at the team’s first home race in Imola.
Hamilton Finds His Rhythm
Hamilton visited Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello on Monday, just after the race, as the Italian outfit continues its efforts to close the gap in single-lap performance.
“I was in the simulator on Monday, settled in early in the morning. It’s really incredible to see the engineers and mechanics — it never stops. They go home Sunday night and are at the factory the next day. It’s non-stop, they’re analyzing data.”
“As we said last weekend, there are a lot of positives to take away. There are still areas to improve. Qualifying has been our main weakness this year.”
“We’re not extracting the performance from the tyres and we’re working on that. I had some ideas, the team had others, and we’ll test them this weekend.”
“This isn’t the best place to try these things, but we’re aiming to make progress in qualifying. It’s a natural progression over the year.”
“I’m feeling more comfortable within the team, things work differently here. They’ve never had someone like me, so it’s a challenge for both sides.”
“But I think we’re really finding a rhythm in how we move forward. I hope that’s starting to show.”
Hamilton Embraces Ferrari Life
The Briton spoke about his ongoing adaptation to life at Ferrari, aiming to move past his early struggles.
“Every weekend feels new. Last weekend was my first European race: I saw the trucks, found my space, got used to a new motorhome.”
“This weekend, walking into the garage, everything was red again. I had never stepped inside the Ferrari garage in Monaco. I always walked past and wondered what it would be like to be in the team. I’d never seen it before, and it’s amazing.”
“For years, I’ve wondered what it feels like to drive a Ferrari on this circuit. Since my rookie season, I’ve always found Ferrari to be strong here. Charles has obviously been fast in recent years.”
“You can see the car behaves very differently to what I had before. I don’t know how that will translate this weekend, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
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