The 2025 Australian Grand Prix was a harsh reality check for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari. After a promising pre-season, the team’s performance was underwhelming, with Hamilton finishing 10th and Charles Leclerc ending up at the bottom of the top 10.
Hamilton’s weekend was a mixed bag. He improved steadily through the practice sessions, but his qualifying performance was disappointing, with him ending up eighth. His race was also uninspiring, with him struggling to make an impact and eventually being passed by Oscar Piastri.
The seven-time champion admitted that he was still adjusting to his new car and team. “It felt like I was in the deep, deep end today,” he said. “Everything is new. From the first time I’m driving this car in the rain, the car was behaving a lot different to what I’ve experienced in the past.”
Hamilton’s struggles were compounded by poor communication with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami. The two are still getting to know each other, and it showed in their radio interactions during the race. Hamilton was often frustrated by the volume and frequency of the information he was receiving, and Adami’s style of communication was clearly different from what Hamilton was used to with his former engineer, Peter Bonnington.
Despite the challenges, Hamilton remains optimistic. He believes that it will take time to build his confidence and get up to speed with his new team. “Inevitably there is a transition period and there is a foundation that’s needed to be built,” he said. “The first half of the season really is that foundation building — those relationships, the trust you’re building with absolutely every single person within the team that you get to work in.”
However, Ferrari’s underperformance is a more significant concern. The team was expected to be McLaren’s closest challenger, but they were beaten by the midfield team in both qualifying and the race. Leclerc was blunt in his assessment, saying that Ferrari is “on the back foot.”
Team boss Frédéric Vasseur was more optimistic, believing that the team’s performance was not representative of their true pace. “If you have a look on Friday, we were in a really good position,” he said. “We struggled more in Q3; Q2 we were within tenths of McLaren. Today was a bit more difficult, but it was not the real picture of the season for sure.”
Despite Vasseur’s optimism, it’s clear that Ferrari has a lot of work to do if they want to challenge for the title. The team’s performance in Melbourne was a wake-up call, and they will need to regroup and refocus if they want to get back on track.
For Hamilton, the journey to the title will be longer than he expected. He will need to build his confidence and get up to speed with his new team, all while dealing with the challenges of a new car and a highly competitive field. It’s a tall order, but Hamilton is a seven-time champion for a reason. He has the talent, the experience, and the determination to succeed.
The 2025 Formula One season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and unpredictable in recent memory. With Ferrari struggling to find their pace and Hamilton still adjusting to his new team, the door is open for other teams to capitalize. McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes will all be looking to take advantage of Ferrari’s struggles and make a push for the title.
As the season heats up, one thing is certain: it’s going to be a wild ride.
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