Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he “didn’t understand how powerful” adapting to life at Ferrari was going to be earlier than making the transfer from Mercedes.
After 12 years at Mercedes, Hamilton made the shock choice to affix Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season.
In 2024, Ferrari loved their greatest marketing campaign in over a decade, ending inside a race victory of constructors’ champions, McLaren.
Consequently, a lot was anticipated of the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership going into the brand new marketing campaign.
Finally, it’s not lived as much as expectations, with the SF-25 struggling for total tempo.
Hamilton has struggled to get the higher of Charles Leclerc, solely exhibiting flashes of brilliance throughout dash weekends.
Talking forward of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Hamilton was open about how difficult it has been.
“I anticipated it will be very powerful, as a result of I’ve joined a workforce earlier than,” Hamilton mentioned as quoted by Motorsport.com.
“I got here in with a extremely open thoughts. I didn’t understand how powerful it was going to be. I knew it was going to be difficult. It’s as difficult because it might ever be on all fronts.”
Ferrari’s poor begin to the yr means they sit 152 factors behind McLaren within the constructors’ championship.
Assessing whether or not Ferrari have any hope of this yr’s title, Hamilton mentioned: “Championship? There’s nonetheless an extended, lengthy method to go.
“From all of the years of expertise, once you’re over 100 factors behind at this level within the season, with a automobile that’s up in opposition to a automobile that’s fairly dominant, it’s a must to assume that you simply’re not essentially combating for the win within the championship.
“However issues might flip round. We’ve by no means seen that occur.”
Can Ferrari upgrades save their season?
With F1 now in Europe after six flyaway races, all 10 groups are anticipated to introduce important upgrades.
Ferrari are set to introduce new components over the following few races, with the Spanish Grand Prix most important heading into the remainder of the season.
In Spain, the FIA will introduce extra stringent assessments across the entrance wings.
This might affect the aggressive order, with Crimson Bull claiming McLaren will probably be hit hardest.
“In the intervening time, I can’t let you know whether or not we’re going to achieve full tenths, half a second, a second by the top of the season,” Hamilton defined.
“We need to get nearer to these issues. And as I mentioned, in the meanwhile, we are able to’t shut the door to any thought. We’ve to maintain our eyes and our heads up. We’ve to remain vigilant. We’ve to push with the expectation and the aim of successful.
“That’s nonetheless the aim of every weekend. Proper now, after I’m sitting with the engineers, it’s how are we going to win this weekend.
“If we are able to extract somewhat bit extra from the tyres, if we are able to extract somewhat bit extra from the ground, if each single certainly one of us is ready to pull out half a tenth every. Then, perhaps we are able to simply get there.”
