Lewis Hamilton Opens Up on the Biggest Adjustment Awaiting Him at Ferrari

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he will have to make significant changes to his driving style to adapt to Ferrari’s SF-25 Formula One car. Having been used to Mercedes’ racecraft for 12 years, Hamilton admitted that he hadn’t used engine braking before, but his new Ferrari demands a different adaptation.

Hamilton has been having a rocky start to his first season with the red team. Despite winning the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, his journey in the four races of the season so far has seen many ups and downs.

Last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix saw him struggle on hard compound tires in the second half of the race, eventually leading him to finish fifth. While it is a good improvement, considering his P9 starting position, Hamilton admitted that he needs to change his driving style on his new car to churn out better performances. Speaking to the media after the race, he said:

“The car really does require a different driving style and I’m slowly adjusting to that and the set-up.

“I’ve been a bit all over the place with it, a long way from Charles in the past two weekends, and then slowly migrating towards him, so if I start the weekend in a more convenient spot, and apply the techniques I learnt this weekend, hopefully I will improve.

“I have never used engine braking before, for the past 12 years, we never used engine braking, but here we use it a lot in the car.

“The brakes are so much different to what I had in the past, they move around a little bit more and in the last stint, I had to use the rears to turn the car, but then at other times, you have to put all your weight on the fronts.

“There is a bigger balance window than I’m used to as well.”

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur spoke along similar lines and acknowledged that Hamilton carries the right mindset. He said:

“You won’t replace 12 years of collaboration [with Mercedes] in two weeks or in two races.

“For sure, we need to improve but I think this is true for everybody in the paddock.

“The DNA of our sport is to try to do a better job and I think it’s good to have Lewis with this mindset: ‘OK, I have to improve also myself and to adapt myself to the car.’

“We will work on the car and develop the car to Lewis – but he has also to do a step.

“I think this between us is done in a positive way and a very constructive way.”

He added:

“Honestly, in terms of management, I think we have to take it a bit easy, to calm down.

“We have ups and downs, as does everybody.

“The issue is that, for us, the ups are a bit higher and the downs are a bit lower.

“It means that if we want to keep a consistent approach and we did it very well the last two years.

“We have to stay calm to try to improve hundredths of seconds by hundredths of seconds, but I’m convinced that we’ll do the same job as we did the last two years.”