Lewis Hamilton Dreads Rain-Hit Melbourne Race After P8 Ferrari Qualifying

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has predicted a tough Australian Grand Prix on Sunday after he qualified eighth, one spot behind his teammate Charles Leclerc. What could make matters more difficult for Hamilton is the heavy rain forecast for race day, a point that the F1 veteran views as a challenge as he continues to adapt to his SF-25 F1 car.

The Australian Grand Prix qualifying at the Albert Park Circuit marked Hamilton’s first session with Ferrari, which he seemed to enjoy. However, he admitted not being as fast as his teammate Leclerc, who has been with the team for many years and is well-versed in the car’s processes and dynamics.

The seven-time world champion was surprised by Ferrari’s pace after being “nine tenths” behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who secured the front row on the starting grid.

What could complicate Hamilton’s debut race with Ferrari is the looming threat of rain. Newsweek Sports reported a high chance of rain on Sunday, something of concern for Hamilton, who has yet to drive a Ferrari F1 car in the wet. Speaking on his qualifying performance in Australia, the Briton told Sky Sports F1, as quoted by Planet F1:

“I had a really good time out there today.

“Everything’s been a first this weekend. My first P1 with Ferrari, my first practice sessions and first qualifying – and it’s been a lot of work to really adapt to this car.

“It’s so much different here to what I’ve experienced in the past, but it’s been interesting.

“I mean, I definitely didn’t expect us to be… I didn’t know that I would be nine tenths off or eight tenths off today, but there is a lot to dissect, for sure.”

Addressing the two-tenths gap to Leclerc in qualifying, Hamilton added:

“I mean, Charles has been in this team for seven years.

“He knows his car in and out – not necessarily the new one, but in terms of the general characteristics of our cars and all the tools and everything, so I’m still learning those.

“To be that close in my first qualifying session, I’ll definitely take it and just [next], get our heads down and start working, trying to find out why we’re not on pace with the front runners.

“Tomorrow is going to be a challenge, I’ve never driven in this car in the rain, so I don’t even know the rain setting, so I’ve got to go and study that tonight, and it’ll be a learning experience again tomorrow.”

2025 Australian Grand Prix Provisional Starting Grid

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Yuki Tsunoda (VCARB)
6. Alex Albon (Williams)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
11. Isack Hadjar (VCARB)
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
14. Jack Doohan (Alpine)
15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
16. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
18. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)
19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
20. Ollie Bearman (Haas)