Lewis Hamilton discusses the struggles and learning curve with Ferrari’s SF-25, shedding light on the key factors behind his recent inconsistencies.
Lewis Hamilton has addressed his fluctuating performances behind the wheel of the Ferrari SF-25, offering insights into the car’s setup and his ongoing adaptation within the Scuderia team.
The 2025 season hasn’t started smoothly for Ferrari. Aside from a positive result at the F1 Sprint in China, the team has struggled to find consistency, with the SF-25 showing erratic performance on track.
Hamilton, too, has experienced his own share of inconsistencies. Speaking at the Suzuka paddock in Japan ahead of the third Grand Prix of the season, he acknowledged the challenges he’s faced so far.
“This inconsistency is likely due to a mix of factors, but primarily it comes down to making better adjustments,” he explained.
“I’ve mentioned before that I’m still in the learning phase with this car. I haven’t yet explored all the elements it has to offer. For the last race, I made the wrong call with the car setup ahead of qualifying, and I had to deal with that during the race.”
“If we’d kept the car as it was, or if the step we made had been an improvement, I believe we could’ve qualified in the top 3, which would’ve likely led to a very different result.”
“But that wasn’t the case. The car felt really challenging from qualifying onwards, and the balance didn’t improve much on Sunday, so I had to push through.”
Hamilton Discusses F1 Team Transition Challenges
Hamilton went on to highlight the complexity of adjusting to a new team in Formula 1, where car setups are a fine art, particularly in the early stages of integration.
“People outside our garage often underestimate just how much goes into what we do,” he said. “When we talk about setups and changes, we’re looking at all kinds of data related to aerodynamics, cornering balance, mechanical balance, roll stiffness—everything we try to tweak and refine over the weekend.”
Reflecting on his experiences over the past races, Hamilton noted, “In Melbourne, I didn’t feel great in the car initially, but our pace wasn’t too bad in the first two days. Sunday was the first time I drove the car in the rain, and I learned a lot during the race.”
“Then in the last race, it was my first long stint. Most of the other drivers here had already done Abu Dhabi testing with the 2025 tires, but I didn’t. During the Bahrain tests, the car broke down, so the Sprint race was my first 20-lap stint, and during the race, it was my first time trying the C2 tire. I was essentially learning all these things in the race.”
Hamilton admitted that missing out on end-of-year testing had made a noticeable impact on his performance, but he expressed satisfaction with his progress over the last two races.
“Looking back, I can see how much I’ve learned despite not having the chance for proper testing. But there’s still a lot of work ahead to ensure that things improve moving forward.”
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Hamilton Opens Up on Ferrari’s SF-25 Struggles
Hamilton Opens Up on Ferrari’s SF-25 Struggles
