Hamilton explains why Ferrari’s F1 form has been inconsistent

Lewis Hamilton says having to gain a deeper understanding of Ferrari’s car set-ups is the main factor behind his up-and-down form as he starts his stint with the Italian Formula 1 powerhouse.

Hamilton and Leclerc both struggled for pace in Australia’s Q3 shoot-out despite looking strong earlier on, and the pair also had a mixed weekend in China where Hamilton won the sprint from pole but was off the pace during the grand prix.

Ultimately both drivers were disqualified for technical infractions in Shanghai, losing fifth and sixth, adding to Ferrari’s muted start to the season as the Scuderia has yet to extract the SF-25’s inherent speed in a reliable fashion.

When asked why the team’s early 2025 form has been so up and down, Hamilton replied: “It’s a combination of probably several different things, but I think mostly just pinning the set-up.

“I told you that I’m still learning about this car, so I still haven’t tested every item that they have yet. Ultimately, I made the wrong decision on set-up for the Saturday going into qualifying at the last race, which then I just had to live with for the race.

“If we had just left the car probably alone or actually [if] the step that we did take [had been] an improvement, I think we could have qualified in the top three, which would then have had a much different result, most likely.

“But that wasn’t the case, and it was really difficult to drive from the moment we went out in qualifying and then it was the same balance on a Sunday, so we just had to persevere with it.”

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Hamilton says he is pleased with how he has adapted from Mercedes’ lineage of cars to the vastly different Ferrari, having been on the back foot because he hadn’t been able to simulate a dry-weather race run before the China weekend, nor had he sampled Pirelli’s harder C2 tyre compound that proved pivotal to pulling off a one-stop race.

“I think that outside of that garage most people completely underestimate what we actually do,” the seven-time world champion explained.

“When we’re talking about set-up and changes that we’re making, all the different graphs that you’re looking at for aero, through-corner balance, mechanical balance, roll balance, all these different things that we’re trying to play with and finesse through a weekend.

“After analysing the last two races, the first race I generally didn’t feel great in the car at the beginning, but our pace wasn’t too bad on the first two days; Sunday was the first time I’d ever driven the car in the rain, and I was learning a lot throughout the race.

“Then in the last race, that was the first time I’d actually done a long run. Every other driver here pretty much got to do the Abu Dhabi test and try the 2025 tyre. I didn’t. And we went into the race run in Bahrain [testing] and the car broke down. The sprint race was the first time I’d actually done a 20-lap stint and then in the race it was the first time I’d ever tried the C2, so I was just learning that through a race.

“I was definitely starting to feel the onwards effect of not being able to do the test at the end of the year, and so on reflection I’m quite happy of how I’ve adapted in just those two races. But I’ve definitely got a lot of work to do to make sure that it’s better moving forward.”

Additional reporting by Jake Boxall-Legge

Photos from Japanese GP – Thursday