Lewis Hamilton believes he and Ferrari have devised some strategies to enhance their single-lap pace for the critical Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session this weekend.
Following a promising drive to fourth place from 12th on the grid at Imola last week, Hamilton expressed his clear excitement about the prospect of driving a Ferrari on the renowned street circuit for the first time.
“There were many positives from the last weekend, but areas still need improvement,” noted Hamilton, whose best qualifying position with Ferrari so far is fifth.
“Qualifying has clearly been our most significant challenge this year. We aren`t getting the optimal performance from the tyres, which is something we`re actively working on.”
“I have some ideas, the team has ideas, and we will test them out this weekend.”
“Monaco isn`t the ideal location to experiment, but we`ll aim for progress, and qualifying is paramount here.”
Hamilton`s new chapter at Ferrari is now four months and seven Grand Prix weekends underway.
Despite achieving a Sprint pole and win in China, the much-anticipated collaboration between the sport`s most decorated driver and its most famous team hasn`t fully delivered yet. Ferrari`s performance has been somewhat underwhelming, keeping them well behind in the championship standings.
Hamilton reiterated that developing his understanding of the new car and strengthening his rapport with the team requires time, a process he feels is progressing.
“It`s a natural evolution,” he commented.
“I`m becoming more comfortable with the team. Things operate differently here; they`ve never had someone quite like me, so it`s been a learning curve for both sides.”
“However, I believe we`re truly finding synergy in how we advance, and hopefully, this will be reflected throughout the rest of the season.”
Hamilton`s Anticipation for Monaco in a Ferrari
The 40-year-old will participate in his 18th Monaco GP this weekend. Despite his record 105 wins, only three have come at this prestigious event: with McLaren in 2008 and Mercedes in 2016 and 2019.
While Hamilton`s best qualifying in his last four Monaco races with Mercedes was fifth, and his best finish fourth, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc has dominated qualifying here recently, taking three of the last four poles and finally winning his home race last year.
“For years, I`ve wondered what a Ferrari would feel like on this circuit,” Hamilton confessed.
“Even in my debut year [2007], I recall the Ferraris being very strong here. Charles has been exceptionally quick in recent years.”
“You can see the car behaves quite differently from what I`ve driven before. How that will affect me, I`m not sure, but I`m definitely keen to find out.”
Leclerc Expresses Caution
Charles Leclerc, conversely, sounded a more reserved note regarding Ferrari`s chances of repeating last year`s success this weekend.
This apprehension stems from the SF-25`s performance in slow-speed corners, which are prevalent throughout the Monaco track.
“Naturally, you believe in your abilities. I know I`ve performed relatively well on street circuits previously, so the opportunity is there,” Leclerc stated.
“The one difference this year is a specific weakness we have, in my view, which is slow-speed corners.”
“Given that Monaco consists solely of slow-speed corners, achieving a significantly better result than anticipated would be a major accomplishment – and quite a surprise.”
“Nonetheless, my motivation here is always unique and very high. It`s a special track, unlike any other. We might still be pleasantly surprised. So hopes are still high, but `on paper,` it doesn`t look as promising.”
However, could the fact that Ferrari only needs to optimize the car for slow-speed sections this weekend, without needing to compromise for faster turns as on other tracks, work in their favour?
“That`s certainly a question we`ve also considered coming here,” Leclerc acknowledged.
“We`ll find the answer on track [on Friday]. We genuinely don`t know what to expect yet.”
“But it is true that it`s all about low-speed here. Our focus will be entirely on setting up the car optimally for slow-speed corners, unlike most tracks where you balance high and low-speed performance.”
“Here, the focus is exclusively low-speed. I hope we learn something new about our car that we haven`t discovered earlier this season.”
