Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties in qualifying, which emerged throughout his last season with Mercedes, have adopted him into his debut marketing campaign with Ferrari. Forward of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc holds a commanding 3-1 lead of their qualifying head-to-head, underscoring the challenges Hamilton continues to face in adapting to the SF-25.
Whereas some leniency might be granted as a consequence of Hamilton nonetheless attending to grips with a basically completely different automotive, questions are already being requested about his one-lap tempo. Till the seven-time world champion begins to shut the hole to Charles Leclerc with extra regularity, hypothesis a couple of regular Saturday decline will solely intensify. Though he delivered an distinctive qualifying efficiency in China—securing pole place for the Dash and later outperforming the Monegasque driver once more in Grand Prix qualifying—that second is starting to look extra like an anomaly than an indication of resurgence.
The numbers inform a stark story: Hamilton was outqualified by two-tenths in Australia, by three in Japan, and by a worrying six in Bahrain. These figures are much more regarding when seen alongside his 2024 file at Mercedes, the place George Russell comfortably led the qualifying battle 19-5. Mockingly, the Briton’s common qualifying deficit to his teammate has really grown barely since transferring to Ferrari—from 0.25% final yr to 0.3% within the present season.
Why Oscar Piastri’s Qualifying Revival May Encourage Lewis Hamilton
F1 analyst Ted Kravitz, talking on Sky Sports activities’ F1 Present, used Oscar Piastri’s latest enchancment for instance that Hamilton may draw encouragement from. Qualifying had been a transparent weak point for Oscar Piastri throughout his rookie marketing campaign in 2024, however the McLaren driver has turned that round dramatically in 2025.
Final season, Oscar Piastri was totally outperformed by teammate Lando Norris, who dominated their qualifying head-to-head 21-3. Nonetheless, the duo are actually tied 2-2 throughout the primary 4 rounds of the season. Much more impressively, Piastri secured his maiden pole place in Shanghai and adopted it with one other in Bahrain, suggesting a serious leap ahead in his one-lap efficiency.
A lot of that success is credited to the centered work Piastri undertook along with his engineering staff over the winter break. The McLaren driver has managed to transform earlier weaknesses right into a power—one thing Hamilton could look to copy as he seeks to regain the sting that when made him the game’s qualifying benchmark.
Kravitz implied that Hamilton may benefit from adopting an analogous method, notably as Hamilton himself has acknowledged the necessity for extra intensive qualifying preparation. The suggestion was that by analyzing the strategies behind Piastri’s enchancment, the Ferrari driver may rediscover among the type that beforehand earned him a file 104 pole positions.
Within the meantime, the Australian’s rise continues. Along with his twelfth Components 1 podium, the younger Australian surpassed the legendary Ayrton Senna in whole factors scored for McLaren—a major milestone, even when he nonetheless trails Hamilton’s large tally with the staff by over 450 factors.
David Coulthard Expresses Concern Over Hamilton’s One-Lap Decline
Following a disappointing ninth-place effort in Bahrain qualifying, Lewis Hamilton sounded dispirited over staff radio, providing little clarification for his lack of tempo and as a substitute apologizing to the staff. Submit-race, nonetheless, his tone was extra composed, with Hamilton expressing cautious optimism that he was starting to grasp the Ferrari SF-25 extra clearly. He indicated that any actual judgement on his type needs to be deferred till the season has totally unfolded.
Nonetheless, issues persist from inside the paddock. Former F1 driver and present pundit David Coulthard voiced his unease over Hamilton’s fading Saturday type, suggesting the Briton could also be shedding the very “superpowers” that when outlined his qualifying performances. Because the all-time pole place chief, Hamilton’s one-lap prowess has lengthy been an indicator of his greatness, which makes the present pattern troublesome to look at for longtime observers.
Encouragingly, Lewis Hamilton seems decided to not repeat the errors of latest years. In contrast to his last season at Mercedes, the place aggressive setup experiments typically left him uncomfortable and off the tempo, he’s reportedly taking a extra measured and structured method at Ferrari. That strategic reset may show essential if he’s to reverse his Saturday fortunes and mount a significant comeback in opposition to Charles Leclerc because the season progresses.
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