Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, is optimistic about the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He believes he has “figured out” how to drive the Ferrari car after an encouraging Bahrain Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion recovered from a ninth-place qualifying to finish fifth in the race on Sunday. This marked his best Grand Prix result this season since joining Ferrari after a significant move from Mercedes.
Despite securing a Sprint victory in China, Hamilton had been struggling to keep pace with his teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth in Bahrain. However, Hamilton feels he made a breakthrough at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton explained that after being with the same team for a long time, drivers become accustomed to a specific driving style. Moving to a new car like the Ferrari requires a very different approach and setup.
He mentioned that he`s now using engine braking, a technique he didn`t use in previous years, along with different brakes. Hamilton is adapting to this new driving style and feels he is beginning to understand it.
Hamilton pointed out that Charles Leclerc typically starts the weekend with a set configuration and largely sticks to it. In contrast, Hamilton had been significantly behind Leclerc in both the previous and Bahrain weekends. Although he closed the gap in qualifying, the settings were reset.
Hamilton aims to improve his performance throughout the race weekend. He believes he can perform better by starting with a stronger setup and maintaining it, hoping for a better qualifying position and a more successful weekend overall.
Ferrari principal Frederic Vasseur praised Hamilton`s strong recovery, acknowledging his disappointing qualifying but highlighting his solid race performance. Vasseur noted that Hamilton`s race pace was comparable to top competitors like George Russell and Lando Norris.
Vasseur considered Hamilton`s race result as positive, especially given the competitive field. He emphasized how crucial qualifying is in Formula 1, where even small errors can significantly impact the starting grid.
Formula 1`s next event is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.
