Lewis Hamilton warned he’s heading to the Australian Grand Prix ‘slightly underprepared’ compared to….read more
Lewis Hamilton heads into the 2025 Formula 1 season with cautious optimism but has been warned that he may be slightly underprepared compared to his rivals, especially ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion has been pleased with his progress during pre-season testing, particularly with Ferrari, after three challenging years at Mercedes. Hamilton drove the SF-25 over three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, where he expressed feeling the “most positive in a long time,” a sentiment that signals a potential resurgence for him and Ferrari this season.
Hamilton’s positive outlook has been further reinforced by the performances of his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc. Leclerc showed strong pace during testing, particularly on the second day, where his race run was just half a second slower than McLaren’s Lando Norris. This performance led many to believe that Ferrari is in good shape and could be a serious contender in the upcoming season, alongside Red Bull and McLaren. Despite these promising signs, it’s important to note that testing conditions can be deceptive. During pre-season runs, teams generally use lower engine modes and carry higher fuel loads, which means the actual performance figures from testing might not fully represent what we’ll see in the race.
Hamilton’s confidence in Ferrari’s progress is tempered by the fact that he has faced significant challenges preparing for the start of the season. While many teams, including Ferrari, have enjoyed extensive testing, Hamilton has faced setbacks that could leave him at a disadvantage when compared to his competitors. According to journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm, speaking on The Race, Hamilton’s preparations have not been as comprehensive as some of his rivals, leaving him in a slightly underprepared state heading into the first race of the season in Melbourne.
The Mercedes driver has expressed that, although he feels positive about his new car and team, he is aware that his lack of testing time may hinder his ability to extract the maximum performance right away. As a result, Hamilton’s rivals—particularly those with more consistent pre-season testing—could have an edge over him in the early part of the season. The Australian Grand Prix will be a crucial test to see how well Hamilton and Ferrari can adapt to race conditions, and whether his optimism translates into a competitive performance on track.
While Hamilton’s positive outlook is encouraging, the upcoming race will show whether his pre-season confidence can overcome the potential challenges caused by being slightly underprepared. With fierce competition from teams like Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari, it remains to be seen if Hamilton can make up for lost ground and deliver a strong start to the
season.
