FP1 of the Bahrain GP was far from a typical practice session for the drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari SF-25. The scorching desert heat in Sakhir certainly impacted the performance of the cars.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, especially in the early part of the session, repeatedly opened up on the radio to express his concerns about the car’s handling. Just ten minutes into the session, Hamilton radioed Adami and said, “The car’s balance doesn’t seem to be working well, but it could just be due to the tire grip.”
Lewis Hamilton struggles due to the heat in Bahrain
A few minutes later, his team radio became more specific and focused. “The feeling is terrible,” he reported to Riccardo Adami while entering the pit lane. Up until a few minutes before the end of FP1, Hamilton remained stuck in the lower positions of the time sheet, but then with the soft tires, he set a lap that placed him third overall, behind Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton also complained about the condition of the track, describing the surface of the Sakhir circuit as poor. The dirty track and extremely high temperatures significantly challenged all the drivers on track.
One of many drivers to complain was Liam Lawson, who, after a few laps, when asked about the balance, simply replied with a blunt “Shocking,” without elaborating further. Halfway through the session, the times were still quite high, due to the terrible grip on the track, which reached nearly 50 degrees on the tarmac, leaving drivers struggling to manage their cars.
To better understand the conditions, the teams will wait for the second free practice session with the hope that the heat will subside somewhat to allow for a better understanding of the track and to give Ferrari the chance to evaluate the new floor that has been the subject of much discussion in recent days.
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