Ferrari failed to shine in Free Practice 3 at Jeddah. Struggling once again, as has become customary in this difficult start to the season, is new arrival Lewis Hamilton. The British champion reacted with quiet astonishment to the gaps separating him from the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who appear poised to lock out the front row based on their performance in the practice sessions.
The Prancing Horse is still searching for its identity. The team is trying to understand the SF-25 in an attempt to unlock the potential that remains too hidden in these early weekends of the season. Ferrari did show some signs of improvement during the Saudi Arabian GP practice sessions, especially on Friday, but those gains still aren’t enough to close the gap to their rivals. In FP3 on Saturday, the gap between the papaya cars at the top and the chasers grew, reaching as much as six tenths to Russell in P2. The first to be surprised was Sir Lewis himself, who expressed his disbelief in a radio message to his race engineer Riccardo Adami.
Huge gap, Lewis Hamilton in disbelief during team radio in Jeddah
FP3 is nearing its end when Lewis Hamilton opens communication with his race engineer. The 1985-born driver from Stevenage hasn’t completed any particularly strong laps and asks Adami for a breakdown of his sector deficits to the McLarens.
“How far off are we in each sector?” asks the seven-time World Champion. Riccardo Adami responds promptly with the data: “We’re 7 tenths down in sector one, 4 tenths in sector two, and in the final sector we backed off.”
The gaps to the papaya-colored cars are enormous in Saudi FP3, and Ferrari’s #44 is in disbelief. His tone at the end of the team radio is subdued and puzzled: “Damn…”
McLaren appears to have raised the bar significantly in the final session before qualifying. Will their rivals, including Ferrari, at least manage to secure a spot on the second row in Jeddah?
Leave a Reply