Lewis Hamilton concluded Formula 1’s pre-season testing in Bahrain expressing unprecedented optimism ahead of his Ferrari race debut in two weeks.
The seven-time world champion, who joined the Italian team this year after 12 seasons with Mercedes, recorded the second-fastest time on day two of the three-day test, trailing Carlos Sainz by just 0.031 seconds.
Hamilton described his experience with the SF-25 as yielding “the most positive feeling that I’ve had for a long time,” signaling a strong start to his highly anticipated tenure with the House of Maranello.
The 40-year-old Briton’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. After dominating the sport with Mercedes, where he clinched six of his seven titles, Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari was seismic—an audacious leap into the unknown with F1’s most iconic team.
This week’s running in Bahrain offered his first public outing in the SF-25, Ferrari’s 2025 challenger, and despite his well-documented aversion to testing, Hamilton found himself savoring the experience.
On Thursday, he admitted to “really enjoying” his feeling behind the wheel, adding that he was “slowly bonding” with his red mount.
Lessons from the Past, Eyes on the Future
Hamilton’s optimism, however, is tempered by the wisdom of experience. When asked about his initial impressions of the SF-25 before his final runs on Friday afternoon, he reflected on the unpredictability of early testing.
“I think probably the last four years or so, I’ve learned that you really can’t take too much from the first outlook.”
“For me, I definitely think, particularly in the previous generation of car, it was much easier to know where you stood much earlier on with that early feeling,” he said.
Yet, despite this caution, he couldn’t hide his enthusiasm.
“I would say this is the most positive feeling that I’ve had for a long time, that’s all I can really say for now.”
For Hamilton, his three days in Bahrain – complemented by private tests in Italy and Spain with Ferrari’s 2023 and 2024 cars – have been a critical immersion into a new world.
“This is a really vital few days that you get in the car,” he explained. “We’re just focusing on doing the best job that we can with what we have and understanding the package we have.”
As he adapts to Ferrari’s processes, he’s fine-tuning his approach.
“Obviously for me I’m learning more and more about how the team likes to work and making small tweaks here and there to improve my efficiency and the efficiency of how we work together.
“So it’s been really positive.”
A Fresh Challenge in Red
Stepping into the SF-25 isn’t just a change of scenery—it’s a departure from the familiar. Having driven for McLaren and Mercedes across his 18-year career, Hamilton finds Ferrari’s machinery a revelation.
“Firstly they are very well built and massively different in characteristics,” he observed. “Rather than just jumping into this car and having exactly the same, it’s been refreshing to have something to learn.”
From cornering techniques to engine dynamics, every detail demands adjustment.
“Different ways to how you have to drive the car, different requirements to how you approach corners, the engine has a different tone, a different feel, different drivability,” he elaborated.
“I’ve been driving a Mercedes for so long, which is such a great power unit. It’s great to see that Ferrari also have a great power unit.”
Hamilton’s curiosity extends beyond the cockpit. He’s diving into the technical side, collaborating with Ferrari’s engine team to understand their approach.
“It’s something that I’m spending time with the engineers from the engine department and learning the process they take for reliability and power,” he said. “That’s a process in itself but so far it’s been really great.”
Testing the Limits—and Loving It
For a driver historically adverse to testing, Hamilton’s enthusiasm in Bahrain was a surprise even to himself. His one-and-a-half days in the SF-25, bolstered by earlier TPC sessions, have left him more comfortable than he expected.
“I’m super grateful for the TPC testing that I got to do,” he admitted. “If I only had this day and a half, I definitely wouldn’t be in this position now in terms of how comfortable I feel in the car.”
When pressed on whether he’d welcome more testing days, Hamilton laughed.
“No! I still am not a fan of testing but I’ve really enjoyed the testing I’ve had this year.”
With the Bahrain Grand Prix just two weeks away, marking his Ferrari race debut, he’s no longer counting laps—he’s counting down to the lights going out.
“At this point I’m just excited to get racing,” he declared, his words carrying the weight of a champion ready to unleash a new era in red.
Read also: Hamilton getting there, ‘slowly bonding’ with Ferrari SF-25
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