Lewis Hamilton has expressed cautious optimism about extracting more performance from his Ferrari ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, following a difficult start to the weekend’s on-track activities at the Yas Marina circuit. The seven-time world champion missed the opening practice session (FP1), as Ferrari ran Arthur Leclerc in accordance with the mandatory rookie driving program.
Lewis Hamilton made his first track appearance of the weekend during FP2, but he was only able to register the 14th fastest lap, highlighting the challenges he has faced throughout the season. Sitting out FP1, he acknowledged, naturally put him at a disadvantage compared to drivers who completed the full session. Hamilton noted that Arthur Leclerc had performed well during the morning session and that it was encouraging to see young talent gaining experience, though missing the session meant he had to work quickly to get up to speed.
The Briton admitted that he encountered difficulties finding the right balance in the car and recognised that further work would be needed to improve performance. With Abu Dhabi marking the final race of the season, Lewis Hamilton is still chasing his first podium of 2025, a milestone that would allow him to maintain his record of securing at least one podium finish every year of his Formula 1 career.
Lewis Hamilton indicated that he remains hopeful about the potential of the SF-25, while also detailing how he is collaborating with the team to address key handling issues. The British driver has been focused on improving aspects such as understeer and the car’s bouncing behaviour, questioning the engineers on how these challenges could be mitigated ahead of FP3. According to Hamilton, the car’s pace in the first two sectors of the lap was competitive, but he lost significant performance in the third sector, where he estimated a deficit of approximately seven tenths of a second.
He believes that resolving these specific issues could significantly enhance his performance, giving him a better opportunity to end the season on a strong note. By addressing the car’s weaknesses in balance and handling, Hamilton is aiming to extract the maximum potential from Ferrari’s machinery in Abu Dhabi, keeping alive his chance of reaching the podium one last time this year.
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