Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he “didn’t know the way 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 hitch Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season.
In 2024, Ferrari loved their finest 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.
In the end, 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 might be very powerful, as a result of I’ve joined a group earlier than,” Hamilton mentioned as quoted by Motorsport.com.
“I got here in with a extremely open thoughts. I didn’t know the way 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 a protracted, lengthy method to go.
“From all of the years of expertise, while you’re over 100 factors behind at this level within the season, with a automotive that’s up towards a automotive 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 crucial heading into the remainder of the season.
In Spain, the FIA will introduce extra stringent exams across the entrance wings.
This might impression the aggressive order, with Purple Bull claiming McLaren shall be hit hardest.
“In the meanwhile, I can’t inform you whether or not we’re going to achieve full tenths, half a second, a second by the tip of the season,” Hamilton defined.
“We wish to get nearer to these issues. And as I mentioned, in the intervening time, we are able to’t shut the door to any thought. We now have to maintain our eyes and our heads up. We now have to remain vigilant. We now have 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 a bit bit extra from the tyres, if we are able to extract a bit bit extra from the ground, if each single one in all us is ready to pull out half a tenth every. Then, perhaps we are able to simply get there.”
