Lewis Hamilton’s first lap at Melbourne’s Albert Park was undoubtedly the most scrutinized, watched, and followed with passion and curiosity. The seven-time world champion made his debut as a Ferrari driver during a race weekend, inevitably drawing significant attention.
At the end of the first day, which included two free practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton posted the fifth-fastest time, 420 thousandths of a second—four-tenths, if you prefer—behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who set the best time of 1’16″439.
It’s not a matter of comparisons but rather a matter of time. Even a seven-time world champion needs it, especially after just changing teams and cars after 12 years under the same procedures and well-oiled mechanisms at Mercedes.
The British driver himself did look at the times, but he focused more on the feeling with the car, the setup, and further blending in with a team that welcomed him as the champion he is from his very first outing in Fiorano.
Today, Lewis Hamilton admitted that the SF-25 felt different from what he had experienced in the Sakhir tests, but in a positive way. The balance is still not perfect, but due to the good sensations at the wheel, it seems the new Ferrari has more potential to unlock. Not by chance, Charles Leclerc has already shown what the car is capable of, at least on a flying lap.
“Honestly, I felt the car very different from how I felt it before arriving at this track. In FP1, I had some difficulties. But in FP2, things improved, and we are still working on it. We’re building confidence step by step, and I’m getting faster step by step.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out.
“As I said, the car felt different, but not bad or anything. It just required a different driving style. So I adapted my driving style little by little, but I enjoyed it.” – he added.
While Hamilton appeared to be lacking some experience on the flying lap, he showed very interesting things on race pace, closely matching Charles Leclerc’s excellent times.
“We did good preparation because the feeling with the car was good. Sure, there are things to fix, as always, and I’m not yet very happy with the balance, but we’re in a much better position compared to the tests. But there’s still performance to extract. I think, though, everyone in the paddock is in the same situation.” – Lewis Hamilton continued.
“I mean, these are new cars, and they’re new for everyone, so you have to push to understand exactly where the limit is. But I think it was a solid first day on track for us. Now we have to wait and see how it goes tomorrow when we’ll push a bit more,” the British driver concluded.
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