British driver Lewis Hamilton is still building chemistry with his new Ferrari race engineer, Riccardo Adami, following a long and successful partnership with Peter Bonnington at Mercedes that spanned over a decade. Adjusting to a different voice on the radio has proven to be a challenge for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, especially during high-pressure race situations.
After his debut for the Maranello team at the Albert Park circuit in Australia, Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration with how the media portrayed his radio exchanges. He believed the narrative suggested tension where there was none. He bounced back strongly with a Sprint race victory in China, but the Suzuka weekend told a different story. A disappointing P8 in qualifying was followed by a race in which he could only improve by one position.
During the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, a notable radio message from the British driver revealed his growing frustration: “I’d really like some info [about] where I’m slow.” It underlined the need for clearer communication and support from his Ferrari race engineer, who is still understanding the level of detail Hamilton expects during a race.
Lewis Hamilton Frustrated Over Lack of Gap Info on Ferrari Pit Board
In Japan, Hamilton overtook Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar early on and then focused on catching Kimi Antonelli. Opting to start on the hard tyre, Hamilton was hoping to benefit in the latter stages when he’d switch to the faster mediums. For a brief period, that strategy looked promising, but Antonelli pulled away after his pit stop.
By lap 49 of 53, Hamilton was puzzled by the lack of information on his pit board and radioed: “What’s the gaps, man, there’s nothing on my pit board?” Riccardo Adami informed him the gap was eight seconds. A lap later, Hamilton conceded over team radio that he simply lacked the pace to mount a challenge. Still, he made it clear that going forward, he expects Ferrari to use the pit board more effectively to display strategic data during the race.
Ferrari Caught Off Guard by Hamilton’s Lack of Speed at Suzuka
After his move on Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton received a message from the Ferrari pit wall urging him to “catch Antonelli.” The team believed the Briton had the pace to chase down the rookie, but reality told a different story. He finished over 10 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli, despite having the tyre advantage in the second stint.
This served as a wake-up call for Ferrari, as the younger Mercedes driver extended the gap on harder tyres. Both Kimi Antonelli and George Russell crossed the line within three seconds of Charles Leclerc, suggesting that Mercedes may currently hold a performance edge.
It also highlights a broader issue with Ferrari’s SF-25 – a car with a very narrow operating window, something Hamilton struggled with at Mercedes in 2024. While his move to Ferrari is a long-term investment, results like this show the road ahead may be bumpier than anticipated. Yet with a long season still to unfold, Lewis Hamilton will hope better understanding with his team will unlock more consistent results, starting with next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
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