Lewis Hamilton completed his first test session as a Ferrari driver on Wednesday morning. Hamilton debuted the SF-25 pre-lunch before Charles Leclerc took over.
With 10 drivers out on track – every team only brings one car to testing – Hamilton set the fifth-quickest time. His 1:31.841 was around four-tenths slower than Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli managed.
These times don’t necessarily matter at this stage. They will inevitably fall as the test progresses, with the first picture of the competitive landscape still yet to emerge.
More significantly, Hamilton completed 70 laps. Only three drivers were busier – and two of those were rookies (Antonelli on 78 and Haas’ Oliver Bearman on 72).
The Bahrain Grand Prix is only a 57-lap race, so Hamilton has already completed 120% of a Grand Prix distance. He was restricted to a maximum of 100km at Ferrari’s shakedown in Fiorano last week.
Onboard footage showed that he’s still adjusting to the unfamiliar handling. Hamilton had a couple of off-track moments at turn four, but this was to be expected.
Bernie Collins notices possible Ferrari issue for Lewis Hamilton in high-speed corners
Sky Sports F1 pundit and former race strategist Bernie Collins has begun analysing the data from Hamilton’s first four hours on track. The coverage showed a detailed lap time comparison between the 40-year-old and his longtime rival Fernando Alonso.
Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship last year with just 94 points. They failed to score a single podium, slipping out of the top tier after a strong 2023.
However, Collins noticed that Hamilton and Ferrari were lagging behind the Aston Martin in high-speed corners. This could be an area of concern for Fred Vasseur.
“There are lots of interesting things to pull out,” Collins said. “Through the high speed in particular, coming up to that turn eight, is where the Ferrari – at this stage – doesn’t look as fast, or as strong as the Aston Martin.”
Ex-F1 driver Jolyon Palmer suggested Ferrari were running a higher engine mode than Aston based on Hamilton’s superior straight-line speed. But those gains were offset elsewhere in the lap.
Palmer said: “I think the biggest thing that I’m seeing is the straight-line speed difference between the Ferrari and the Aston Martin.
“Through the corners, generally there’s not much to choose, but you see the trend on all of the straights is going up, which means Hamilton is gaining, which tells me Ferrari are running a little more engine performance.”
The rumours circulating in the F1 paddock about Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari car
Despite Collins’ observations, Hamilton will already feel vindicated. That’s because former Mercedes teammate George Russell has immediately cast doubt on Mercedes’ title chances.
It seems Hamilton has a better chance of landing an elusive eighth crown at Maranello than he did at Brackley. The pecking order is likely to change next season as the regulations are overhauled, but the veteran can afford to think short-term as he approaches the end of his career.
What’s more, there are rumours that Ferrari have built the best car for the 2025 season. These come from the Italian media, so perhaps should be viewed with a degree of scepticism.
Vasseur’s outfit will have to justify the hype on track. The early results were mixed, but they can be fully judged at the end of the three days.
