At the end of Friday’s sessions for the Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton stopped to study the Mercedes cars, trying to understand where Ferrari’s deficit comes from.
Both Ferrari drivers have stated in the press conference that, at the moment, it is difficult to match their rivals in qualifying. Even on Friday at the Chinese GP, which marked the return of Sprint qualifying, Mercedes demonstrated that they remain the car to beat over a single lap, leaving Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari approximately six-tenths behind.
The W17, at least in this early stage of the season, appears to manage both power and energy more efficiently than anyone else during flying laps with low fuel. In race conditions, the situation changes slightly, and as we saw in Australia, the Maranello squad seems capable of keeping closer to the Silver Arrows over a full race distance.
Hamilton seeks to understand the source of the gap
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton seems to be following in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel. The German driver, during his time at Ferrari and elsewhere, frequently stopped to observe other cars closely to pick up subtle details. Hamilton did the same at the end of Friday in Shanghai, mirroring his long-time rival’s meticulous approach.
After finishing fourth in the Sprint qualifying session, Hamilton was captured analyzing the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. The seven-time world champion’s attention was particularly focused on the rear of the car, with a strong emphasis on the diffuser area.
Ferrari is widely regarded as one of the most advanced teams in that area, especially with the aerodynamic appendage that drew so much attention during testing in Bahrain. For this reason, Hamilton likely aimed to take notes on the solutions implemented by his former team, attempting to identify the cause of the six-tenths gap that separated Ferrari from Mercedes in qualifying.
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