Lewis Hamilton Struggles to Explain… Read More
Lewis Hamilton’s challenging start to life at Ferrari hit another bump during Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying, where he ended up a disappointing ninth, nearly a full second behind pole-sitter Oscar Piastri and almost six-tenths slower than teammate Charles Leclerc. It marked a sharp contrast in performance and raised fresh concerns, with Hamilton admitting he has few answers for the gap.
After qualifying, Hamilton appeared visibly frustrated and downbeat, reminiscent of his demeanor after a poor showing in Qatar last year while still at Mercedes. He conceded that he simply wasn’t doing a good enough job, saying, “It was pretty straightforward – not much to say… I’m just not doing a good enough job on my side.”
Initially, Hamilton had a stronger showing in Q1, beating Leclerc with a late flyer. But in Q2, the tables turned. He couldn’t improve on his first lap while Leclerc delivered a strong second run, 0.285s faster. The real trouble came in Q3, when Hamilton’s first push lap was deleted due to a track-limits violation at Turn 13. His final attempt placed him fifth initially, but he was soon bumped down by Leclerc, Gasly, Verstappen, and Sainz.
Acknowledging the situation, Hamilton admitted to F1TV, “Clearly the car is a lot better than I’m delivering with it. Charles did a great job today, so big apologies to the team.”
This follows comments Hamilton made after the Japanese GP, where he hinted at a performance imbalance between his and Leclerc’s car. He had suggested that his car wasn’t performing properly, though he didn’t provide specifics. However, it’s believed Hamilton has been pushing for a stiffer, lower setup—something the SF-25 hasn’t responded well to.
Ferrari’s new floor upgrade, which includes a revised ‘throat’ and end fences, may have addressed some of Hamilton’s concerns. Still, he has since dropped suggestions that the car is to blame and taken more accountability.
Meanwhile, Leclerc continues to thrive in the SF-25. He admitted that his current setup approach is extreme and difficult to handle, especially on used tyres, but it complements his driving style and allows him to extract more pace from the car.
With Ferrari’s focus gradually shifting toward their 2026 development project, the team will naturally lean toward supporting the driver achieving better results. For Hamilton, the pressure is on to adapt to the SF-25 and unlock its performance potential. However, when asked how he plans to bridge the gap, Hamilton offered a candid response: “I really don’t know. I don’t have a lot of answers for you guys.”
