Lewis Hamilton appears to have settled well at Ferrari following a solid three days of running at Formula 1’s pre-season test in Bahrain.
The seven-time champion’s official track debut for Ferrari was largely uneventful, and he was able to complete 162 laps.
Surprisingly, Hamilton managed to complete more laps than just three other drivers, with both Red Bull’s and Lance Stroll below him.
It’s too early to tell whether he can compete for an eighth drivers’ championship, but the signs have been promising so far.
Hamilton’s heart may sink after hearing F1 paddock chatter, with some believing that his old team Mercedes may actually be ahead of the Scuderia.
It should be a good thing for the fans, who might be about to enjoy a four-team fight for a championship. The likes have never been seen in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton’s ‘demeanour’ has changed after F1 testing with Ferrari
Alex Brundle spotted something ‘horrid’ on Hamilton’s Ferrari in Bahrain, as it looked difficult to drive at certain stages.
There are just under two weeks before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and it looks as if the entire field has some work to do if they want to compete with McLaren, who looked most impressive.
Charles Leclerc should be able to advise where more can be extracted from the car, but they’re largely limited to setup changes now if they want to find more gains.
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David Croft noticed a change from Hamilton after seeing him move to Italy, and it’s on the positive side of the scale.
“He absolutely does. A smile,” he said. “It’s not so much looking comfortable in the car, the demeanour out of the car, I think is also telling.
“His integration within the team and the way the team have integrated with Lewis as well seems like a really good fit, doesn’t it?”
How fast was Lewis Hamilton during F1 testing for Ferrari?
Taking a look at the laptimes (which can never be analysed too much at testing), but things were promising for a few teams.
Williams set the fastest time in Bahrain, which may be a surprise to some, but their long-term project is clearly starting to make some progress.
READ MORE: Karun Chandhok spots extra positive for Lewis Hamilton after Ferrari move during F1 testing
Behind them, was Hamilton, less than a tenth away and able to lean on his car more than he was able to in his last years with Mercedes.
Mercedes has fixed an area Hamilton complained about just as he leaves, with their hot seat problem set to benefit their drivers this season.
Toto Wolff’s two-word Hamilton assessment was positive, and he was encouraged by the pace shown by the Brit.
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