After a difficult outing in Saudi Arabia, Hamilton openly shared his frustration, admitting he struggled to improve on his starting position and battled rear-end instability throughout the race.
While his teammate Charles Leclerc managed to secure Ferrari’s first podium of the season by capitalizing on rivals’ mistakes, Hamilton’s own race was hampered by understeer and tire degradation. “It was horrible. First stint, massive understeer, car not turning, and then a massive deg. And then the second stint, slightly better balance, but still just no pace, so yeah, it’s pretty bad,” Hamilton told reporters after the race.
When pressed for details, Hamilton couldn’t pinpoint a specific issue, simply stating, “Struggling to feel the car beneath me, but yeah, there’s no particular thing. There’s nothing to say, hey, this is the issue.”
As Ferrari enters a demanding tripleheader with races in Japan, Bahrain, and Jeddah, Hamilton doesn’t expect the upcoming break to bring much relief. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t think it’s going to make a difference. I think I’ll struggle also in Miami. I don’t know how much longer I’ll struggle for, but it’s definitely painful.”
He remains hopeful that some tweaks to the SF-25 setup might help, but acknowledges the car is unlikely to change significantly this season. “At the moment, there’s no fix, so this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year. It’s going to be painful.”
Despite the tough start, Hamilton’s determination remains clear as he and Ferrari work to unlock the car’s potential and fight for every point in a highly competitive field.
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