F1, Ferrari | Charles Leclerc faster: for Lewis Hamilton the reason is obvious – Saudi Arabian GP. Lewis Hamilton discusses his adaptation to Ferrari and the challenges of changing his driving style.

During media day at the Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah, Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts on the process of adapting to his new role at Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc, speaking openly about the challenges of modifying his driving style and the difficulties he encountered with the car’s balance during the recent Bahrain GP.

Speaking to selected media, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion referred to a specific moment in the Bahrain race as a key point in his development with the Scuderia: “I think it was good to have had that second stint and that experience with the car,” he said. “Every time I get in the car it’s easy to automatically revert to your old driving style. That’s something I try to avoid during practice, and I’m focusing on keeping it consistent during the race.”

Lewis Hamilton: “I have to adapt to something Charles Leclerc has already been using for a long time”

Lewis Hamilton then explained that this new style, more in line with Ferrari’s philosophy, requires a conscious effort not to fall back into habits acquired during his years at Mercedes: “Naturally, when the pressure increases, it’s easy to return to old patterns. I saw signs of progress in testing, but fully adapting and using it every time is something I want to keep working on.”

Commenting on the final part of the Bahrain race, the Briton described in detail the difficulties related to the behavior of the SF-25: “On the restart with the hard tyre I got off the line well, but we were unbalanced. We didn’t have enough front wing, so I had a lot of understeer.” The seven-time world champion then emphasized how managing the hard tyre was complex and much less effective than the medium compounds: “The medium tyre was much better. When a driver like Lando Norris caught up with me on mediums, I had no chance of holding him off.”

For Lewis Hamilton, the goal is to make the new habits an integral part of his driving. He acknowledges the technical challenges but also the value of the experience gained so far: “Some driving styles worked well with Mercedes, but now I have to adapt to something Charles has already been using for a while. It’s a matter of time and commitment.”

Work on balance, aerodynamics, and mental adaptation is therefore a priority for Lewis Hamilton, who is approaching this new phase at Ferrari with a methodical and deliberate mindset.