Hamilton on gap to Leclerc: “I’m slower in corners. I hope to recover in 2026 with less ground effect”. Lewis Hamilton reflects on his struggles with the Ferrari SF-25 after a significant gap to Leclerc in Jeddah.

Lewis Hamilton, what’s not working?
During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton repeatedly pointed out that he was having great difficulty adapting to the Ferrari SF-25. The British champion’s disappointment was palpable, to the point that he declared he needed “a brain transplant” and that he hadn’t felt in sync with the car “even for a moment” throughout the weekend at the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit last Sunday.

The gap to Charles Leclerc
In the race, Lewis Hamilton finished more than 30 seconds behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc, and after the race, journalists asked the British champion for an explanation of this clear performance gap. “Charles has been driving this car for a long time and therefore knows it very well,” said the 40-year-old Ferrari driver, adding: “You can see a lot of things in the data, for sure. Honestly, it doesn’t look like the data is very different, apart from the fact that I’m slower in the corners.” – he pointed out.

Lewis Hamilton’s analysis continued: “We have slightly different setups, I need to understand whether mine suits the car. But he and his side of the garage are definitely doing a better job.” – the British driver admitted at the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion also addressed the recurring belief that he hasn’t adapted well to ground-effect cars: “I honestly don’t know, this era has been the worst for me. I hope that in 2026, with less ground effect, things might change a bit.”