Hamilton Gains Confidence After Bahrain GP as… Read More
Lewis Hamilton says he is feeling more optimistic about his adaptation to Ferrari after a strong performance in the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he secured his best race result of the season with a P5 finish. Despite a challenging start to the weekend, including a difficult Qualifying session that saw him start ninth on the grid, Hamilton showed encouraging race pace and believes he’s beginning to unlock the potential of the SF-25.
The seven-time world champion admitted that he is still getting used to Ferrari’s 2025 challenger, which has been tricky to handle in the early stages of the season. But following a solid drive in Sunday’s 57-lap race, where he battled with both his teammate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris, Hamilton felt he made significant strides in understanding how to get the most out of the car.
“[The feeling is] night and day different,” Hamilton said, reflecting on the transformation in the car’s behaviour between Saturday and Sunday. “It was a tough afternoon – making progress was not easy because the field is so close.”
Hamilton pointed out that the car still feels difficult at times and that he’s been working hard to adapt his driving style to suit it. He highlighted the importance of getting the car’s setup right, revealing that moving closer to Leclerc’s setup approach made a significant difference for him.
“I went more towards Charles’ setup and stuck with it all weekend,” Hamilton explained. “That gave me more confidence, and then I just needed to tweak my driving to suit it. The team also did a fantastic job with the pit stops and strategy today, which helped a lot.”
Although Hamilton has long been known for his prowess in Qualifying – with 104 career pole positions to his name – he has yet to extract the same one-lap pace from the Ferrari. However, his performance in the race has given him renewed hope that he’s on the right track and can soon carry that improvement into Saturdays.
“I learned a lot today,” Hamilton said. “During that middle stint, I felt really connected with the car and was able to push forward. That’s the kind of feeling I need from the start to the end of the race – and especially in Qualifying.”
Now four races into his Ferrari tenure, Hamilton believes he’s finally figuring out what the car needs and how to tailor his approach. “I know what to search for now,” he said, signaling a turning point in his adaptation to life in red.
