The thrill among the many Tifosi was palpable from the second the announcement was made in February: Lewis Hamilton can be becoming a member of Ferrari. Anticipation solely grew over the course of a yr, culminating in an enormous turnout at Fiorano to witness Hamilton’s first look in crimson. Each lap he accomplished throughout testing and pre-season was scrutinized as followers waited for his official debut on the Australian Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, the start of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari journey hasn’t gone as hoped. A pricey strategic error in the course of the opening race robbed each him and Charles Leclerc of useful factors. It was a disappointing begin, particularly given the hype surrounding the workforce’s new period with the seven-time world champion onboard.
Nonetheless, Hamilton supplied a reminder of his pedigree shortly after by claiming victory within the Dash Race in China, having began from pole place. It was a glimpse of the efficiency that has earned him 105 Grand Prix victories all through his System 1 profession. Regardless of that second of brilliance, the partnership between the British driver and the Maranello workforce has but to constantly ship the outcomes many anticipated.
Internally and among the many Tifosi, stress continues to mount. Whereas Hamilton continues to be adjusting to Ferrari’s methods and construction after greater than a decade at Mercedes, comparisons with teammate Charles Leclerc are inevitable. Questions are beginning to emerge over whether or not the present efficiency hole between the 2 drivers is just a matter of adaptation—or if Hamilton could already be working near his present ceiling.
David Coulthard Questions Whether or not Hamilton Has Misplaced His Qualifying Edge
Throughout his evaluation of the Bahrain Grand Prix for Channel 4, former F1 driver David Coulthard mirrored on Hamilton’s present kind. The Ferrari driver managed to climb 4 locations in the course of the race, recovering from a P9 begin. Notably, his Q3 time had been over half a second slower than Leclerc’s.
David Coulthard famous that post-race, Hamilton sounded comparatively upbeat, whereas Charles Leclerc’s feedback have been way more essential and targeted on technique. He noticed that Leclerc tends to query race techniques extra overtly over workforce radio, notably choices involving tyre alternative or variety of stops.
As for the seven-time F1 world champion, David Coulthard attributed the Briton’s constructive tone to his progress in the course of the race, highlighting that Hamilton’s racecraft was nonetheless top-tier and by no means unsure. The important thing concern, nevertheless, lay elsewhere: Hamilton’s qualifying performances.
Coulthard prompt that the actual concern lies in Hamilton’s Saturdays. He identified that for a driver who as soon as dominated qualifying periods, this facet of his sport now seems weakened. He acknowledged it’s a stunning improvement for a driver of Hamilton’s caliber, implying that one in every of his former “superpowers” could have diminished.
Charles Leclerc Outperforming Hamilton in Qualifying—For Now
Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying struggles are usually not distinctive to his first season on the Maranello workforce. The decline started throughout his ultimate yr at Mercedes, the place teammate George Russell incessantly outpaced him in qualifying periods. Whereas some chalked it as much as the W14’s unpredictable dealing with traits, the sample seems to be persevering with with the SF-25.
The statistics up to now this season present Hamilton averaging a qualifying place of 6.2—modest by his personal requirements. Charles Leclerc, by comparability, holds a median grid spot of 4.6. Even factoring in Hamilton’s pole within the Chinese language Dash Race, the numbers present a transparent edge for the Monegasque.
Curiously, Mercedes’ rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli at present averages a beginning place of 8.4. The younger Italian didn’t advance past Q1 in his debut, but his numbers are usually not dramatically distant from Hamilton’s, underlining the scrutiny the Briton is underneath.
After qualifying on the Suzuka circuit, the Briton overtly admitted he was “not the place I wish to be” following an eighth-place outcome. His personal feedback replicate a must rebound rapidly—notably in qualifying, the place confidence, precision, and uncooked tempo should come collectively in a single lap. With Saudi Arabia up subsequent, Lewis Hamilton will likely be underneath stress to show he can nonetheless extract most efficiency when it issues most. For now, the query stays: is that this only a interval of transition—or has one in every of System 1’s most dominant drivers misplaced a essential piece of his edge?
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