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Full radio from Hamilton’s difficult Ferrari debut · RaceFans

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Start, Albert Park, 2025

Lewis Hamilton’s first race as a Ferrari driver came to a frustrating end as a strategy gamble in the rain-hit race failed to pay off and he sank to 10th place at the finish.

It was also clear he and Ferrari were still refining their communication as he made his debut for them. And as Hamilton admitted, he is still getting to grips with the unfamiliar Ferrari controls after 18 seasons in Mercedes-powered cars.

The clips of his radio messages played on the world television feed gave the impression of a thoroughly miserable afternoon. Was it really as bad as that? Here are his complete radio communications with race engineer Ricardo Adami on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Australian Grand Prix radio messages

Jump to:

“I was just wheel spinning”
“Is the other car struggling?”
“Have I still got my front wing?”
“How far am I off?”
“Suggest upshift and then DRS”
“I’m learning the car as we go mate”
“Two laps to heavy rain”
“S***, we should have come in”
“We lost a lot of places”
“Leave me, it’s the last lap, I can see him”
“Good work”

“I was just wheel spinning”

The first race of the new season got off to a disrupted start as Isack Hadjar lost control on the wet track surface and crashed during the original formation lap. Race control therefore abandoned their first attempt to start the race.

As Hamilton and Adami debated how best to optimise the start it was clear the seven-times world champion was still getting up to speed on some aspects of his car’s systems.

Attempted start
Adami For the start, we need torque map two, and you are already in torque map two, so we already selected. Stay in torque map two for the start.
Hamilton I’m going to torque map six.
Adami And negative, not available for the start. Go torque map two, please.
Hamilton Okay.
Adami Three minutes, and it will be very important to keep temps in those tyres.
Hamilton B-bal turn one.
Adami You’ll need a longer hold on the clutch, you did one second, those tests, we need one-and-a-half.
Hamilton Yeah, I was just wheel spinning there, so.
Adami Diff mid five for the start, diff mid five. And two minutes.
Adami Can go pit limiter on.
Hamilton What’s my position? The yellow line.
Adami You are like a metre behind, one metre behind. K2 off for the start, K2 off. It’s 10 seconds.
Adami Four burn-outs, sorry, correction, aborted start. Take your great position and switch off.
Hamilton No burn-outs.
Adami No burn-outs. Abort the start, we can switch off in your grid position.

“Is the other car struggling?”

During the hiatus, Hamilton used the opportunity to get more information on how team mate Charles Leclerc was coping with the conditions.

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After the aborted start
Hamilton What happened?
Adami It was Hadjar crashed at turn two. For info, you can go P0.
Hamilton I have no rear end, by the way. Rear tyres’ not working.
Adami Understood.
Adami Propping up the rear.
Hamilton It’s definitely, the rear’s not coming in for some reason. It’s very slippery, having a lot of just breaking traction, just big snaps constantly.
Adami We lost the sync for the gears, so we are learning on the formation lap.
Hamilton Is the other car struggling with rear temps?
Adami Okay, can help you there, adjusting the rears.
Hamilton And start? It felt okay
Adami Yeah, the start was okay. Good start. Hadjar spun taking the white line inside turn two.
Hamilton Sorry?
Adami Hadjar spun taking the white line inside turn two. B-bal 54, suggestion, b-bal 54.
Adami And diff three mid six.
Hamilton Just ask Ricky how much slower I was through turn five there. I keep having a snap on the exit.
Adami Okay, having a look.
Hamilton Did you hear from the other car, if they’re struggling as well or not?
Adami He was pushing a bit more up to turn five, having a bit better temperature, higher temp.
Adami Five minutes.
Hamilton What target did I hit?
Adami Just two percent shallow.
Adami Before turn five, Charles was avoiding the snap going later on throttle.
Hamilton Okay. Apex speed at six?
Adami You were faster by 2kph.
Hamilton The other corners like turn nine and 10?
Adami We were pushing a bit the entry in turn nine. And lap time was good across cars. And three minutes.
Hamilton Should I be looking to go to b-mig five?
Adami Yeah, it makes sense to us.
Hamilton But not for turn one?
Adami Yeah, copy.
Hamilton For the start into turn one, brake balance back into b-mig three or not?
Adami We would rather not. Two minutes.
Adami Okay reminder you to stay longer on clutch, and fire up.
Hamilton Bite point find again or not?
Adami Negative, no bite point please. And one minute, and K2 off, K2 off. Ten seconds.
Adami You were good on the target. Remind you to learn the eighth gear, learn eighth.
Adami Okay, all set.
Adami And for burn-outs, repeat, at the DRS line four burn-outs.
Adami Go mode X and K2 on, mode X, K2 on. And the last car is approaching the grid.

“Have I still got my front wing?”

Start, Albert Park, 2025
Hamilton took a look at Leclerc at turn one, but backed out of a move

After the race started it was neutralised almost immediately as Jack Doohan and Carlos Sainz Jnr had separate crashes. Hamilton was also concerned he might have picked up damage, though his team informed him his car was intact.

Lap: 1/57 HAM: 2’12.883
Adami Safety Car, Safety Car.
Hamilton Have I still got my front wing?
Adami On the data, all fine, all fine from data. Stay out and charge button on.
Hamilton Dry line starting to appear, through exit of 11.
Adami Okay, good info, thank you. Try to keep temperature in the tyres, of course.
Lap: 2/57 HAM: 2’49.908
Adami Multi green exit position four, multi green exit four. And go charge off and mode FW. The car stopped on the track there. Check for debris.
Hamilton It’s super slippery.
Adami Adami’s former driver is out of the race
Also Sainz spun and crashed at turn 14, so you can use the pit lane.
Hamilton Repeat
Adami You must use the pit lane. Sainz crash in last corner in the barriers. Remind you, pit limiter all through the pit lane, pit limiter.
Adami Adami appears to be checking what data Hamilton is accessing on his steering wheel
Ignore the fuel bar, you’re taking a look on the fuel bar, ignore it.
Adami Remind you pit limiter.
Hamilton It’s pretty hectic.
Adami Copy, understood.
Hamilton Exit five, he lost it.
Lap: 3/57 HAM: 2’43.813
Adami Copy, we saw that.
Adami Have to warm up the tyres, weaving in the straights. And also visibility check, front wing is okay, from when you come, when you went past.
Adami And avoid the black paint line inside 14, that’s why Sainz spun. Avoid the black paint. We can go charge on and pre-select mode X, charge on and mode X.
Hamilton Leclerc also queried why it was taking so long to recover Doohan’s crash car
There’s still a car, before turn six, there’s still a car broke on the road.
Adami Understood, copy. Again, through the pit lane, follow the others.
Hamilton Generally feeling on the nose
Adami Diff mid seven to help you. Diff mid seven.
Lap: 4/57 HAM: 2’34.100
Adami Recovery vehicle turn six, be careful.
Hamilton Track is drying. Still greasy everywhere, but…
Adami Forming a line, yeah, copy. And no rain expected for the next 20 minutes. Just pre-select mode X for the restart, eventually. Mode X now, and stay mode charge, charge button on.
Hamilton Yeah, no problem. Just don’t repeat everything, please.
Adami Understood. Think about S1 to warm up the fronts, if it’s helping.
Hamilton The tyres’ still cold?
Adami He enters the pits again
Remind you, pit limiter. The front looks cold. Keep working on your fronts.
Lap: 5/57 HAM: 2’21.772
Adami Could be one more lap.
Hamilton It will be more one lap?
Adami Yep, one more lap, we believe. Just follow the others on the pit straight, follow the others. And no more rain for at least 30 minutes, for info.
Lap: 6/57 HAM: 2’20.418
Adami Diff entry eight for the restart. Diff entry eight. So one more lap, we believe, one more lap. Good job on tyres, you’re doing a good job.
Hamilton Track is drying, but still very greasy.
Understood.
Lap: 7/57 HAM: 2’07.498
Adami Safety Car in this lap.
Adami K2 on for the restart, keep working on your tyres. Then we’ll be K2 off, turn three.
Hamilton Drive-ability is pretty difficult.
Adami Understood.

“How far am I off?”

After a long delay while the damaged cars were cleared away, the race restarted and Hamilton was finally able to get up to speed. However he spent the opening stint of the race stuck behind Alexander Albon’s Williams.

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Lap: 8/57 HAM: 1’38.311
Adami The race restarts
And multi white RB position four when you can.
Lap: 10/57 HAM: 1’35.107
Adami And think about diff mid six. And multi white RB one when you can.
Lap: 12/57 HAM: 1’33.255
Adami DRS enabled.
Hamilton Let me know where I’m slow. I’m struggling with drive-ability. Car’s snappy.
Adami 11,12.
Lap: 13/57 HAM: 1’33.017
Adami Can use K1 to close.
Hamilton Leave me to it, please.
Adami Possibly misunderstood his reply as a request to repeat
K1 available.
Hamilton Yes, I know. Leave me to it, please.
Adami B-bal 56 will help, 56.
Lap: 14/57 HAM: 1’32.992
Hamilton How far am I off?
Adami 0.8 but Charles is in free air.
Lap: 15/57 HAM: 1’32.763
Adami Charles lap time 32 .4
Lap: 16/57 HAM: 1’32.749
Hamilton Hard to get close.
Adami Can see that.

“Suggest upshift and then DRS”

Adami gave Hamilton occasional pieces of information on how to resolve problems with his car. However given the tricky conditions Hamilton wasn’t always prepared to act on them.

Lap: 17/57 HAM: 1’32.830
Adami Spots of rain in the pit lane, also down to turn three, have a look, be careful.
Hamilton Yeah [unclear] pace.
Adami Also turn 11, reported a bit more rain, watch out. Pace is good. Class one rain in the pit lane, still same intensity as before.
Lap: 19/57 HAM: 1’32.914
Adami This level of light rain for 10 minutes.
Lap: 20/57 HAM: 1’32.341
Hamilton Where am I down? It’s hard to…
Adami Turn one, place to focus, while you’re in traffic, of course.
Adami Hamilton appears to be failing to activate DRS at times
For the DRS activation is upshift and then DRS, if you have some denied. Charles is 31 .7, so pace is good.
Lap: 22/57 HAM: 1’32.041
Adami And we suggest…
Hamilton Interrupts
Lost gear sync, lost gear sync.
Adami Understood. We suggest b-mig [brake migration] three. Suggestion also EB2, engine braking two.
Lap: 23/57 HAM: 1’31.771
Adami Last you did was a very good turn one.
Hamilton Yeah, understeer is most of the issue.
Adami Copy.
Lap: 24/57 HAM: 1’31.852
Adami We suggest EB3, engine braking three. To avoid the denied DRS, we suggest upshift and then DRS.
Lap: 25/57 HAM: 1’30.860
Hamilton Please leave it, just leave it.

“I’m learning the car as we go, mate”

The F1 race director focused on the messages from Adami instructing Hamilton to use the engine mode ‘K1’, and Hamilton’s reluctance to do so. However these were only a small part of the total communication between the pair.

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“This hard tyre is going to be hard to switch on”

By now the track was starting to dry out. When Fernando Alonso crashed and the Safety Car reappeared, Ferrari joined their rivals in seizing the opportunity to fit slick tyres. Hamilton wanted a softer set of tyres than the hards he was given, but appeared to raise his request too late for Ferrari to consider it.

Lap: 27/57 HAM: 1’30.755
Hamilton I’m learning the car as we go, mate, just leave me to it with the DRS, it’s not an issue.
Adami The car is okay, just a lot of understeer as you can see, and hold K1. Think about engine braking to help the balance.
Lap: 28/57 HAM: 1’30.143
Adami Try to hold the K1, just for practise, I know it’s difficult…
Lap: 30/57 HAM: 1’29.737
Hamilton I’m not close enough.
Adami Copy.
Hamilton I’m not close enough. When I get close, I’ll do it.
Adami Understood.
Adami And when you can, let me know for track conditions.
Lap: 31/57 HAM: 1’30.422
Hamilton The track is drying but the tyres still feel good.
Adami Understood.
Hamilton It’s going to be slicks soon.
Adami Understood.
Adami And when you can, multi blue, DG, position 14.
Hamilton makes the settings change immediately
Lap: 32/57 HAM: 1’30.234
Adami All set. Thank you.
Hamilton [Unclear] pace now.
Adami Understood.
Hamilton Dry line is appearing, except for the last corner. Think it’s very close.
Lap: 33/57 HAM: 1’50.479
Adami Understood. Good info. We are monitoring.
Hamilton [Unclear]. How’s my pace compared to the guys?
Adami Alonso crashes
Stand by. Safety Car, Safety Car and box, Safety Car and box.
Hamilton Approaching penultimate corner
Need a tyre that’s going to warm up.
Adami K2 on. Tyre target three. All good.
Lap: 34/57 HAM: 2’26.885
Hamilton Yeah guys, I don’t know, this hard tyre is going to be hard to switch on.
Adami Understood. Tyre position three. Try your best.
Adami Charge button off.
Hamilton Did you put wing in? This Safety Car is going extra slow… [spots Alonso’s car] Oh, I see him.
Hamilton He follows other cars past the Safety Car
Why are we going past the Safety Car? We’ve all passed the Safety Car, is that okay?
Adami Yeah, that’s okay.
Hamilton Why?
Adami Because the leader is behind. Keep working on your tyres, and you can pre-select mode race.
Lap: 35/57 HAM: 1’43.401
Adami Radio still open.
Hamilton Were we that far behind? So we’ve not gained anything on that, right?
Adami Yeah, correct. We are in the same position, bad timing. Just watch for the debris there when you go through.
Hamilton Hamilton is catching back up to the Safety Car
I’ve got no warnings on my delta. Strange.
Adami Investigating.
Hamilton It’s stuck now in this position.
Adami Suggest multi white RP eight to help you with these tyres. Charge off.
Lap: 36/57 HAM: 1’42.431
Hamilton Both talk at once
There’s only one line.
Adami Copy, understood.
Hamilton Repeat.
Adami Charge off, mode FW.
Hamilton How many laps left? Still getting no warnings.
Adami 21 to go.
Hamilton Everyone else has stopped as well, yeah?
Adami Yeah, correct. All on the hard, apart from Verstappen on the medium, Tsunoda and Albon on the medium, all the rest on hard. Is a long race.
Lap: 37/57 HAM: 2’08.079
Hamilton How far behind are we?
Adami The safety car is at turn eight. And there is a vehicle to pick up Alonso. And careful for recovery vehicle on track.
Adami Safety Car at turn 11. And multi red FM position five.
Lap: 38/57 HAM: 2’18.415
Adami Double yellow where you are and drink reminder if you need
Hamilton How far were they… was everyone ahead of catch-up car?
Hamilton They talk at once
There’s nowhere to go offline.
Adami RB3, please.
Hamilton makes the change
Adami Okay, all set, thank you.
Lap: 39/57 HAM: 2’12.085
Adami Sector reported clear, should be ‘lapped car may now overtake’ in front. Just for info, we’re currently P8. Got Gasly behind on hard and Albon ahead on medium.
Lap: 40/57 HAM: 2’11.407
Hamilton There’s no place offline you can overtake right now, it’s wet everywhere
Adami Keep working on your tyres, it won’t be long.

“Two laps to heavy rain”

The race restarted again but Ferrari realised it wasn’t going to stay dry for long as another shower was coming. Although they saw the approaching rain was “heavy”, it also appeared brief, and this emboldened them to see it out without switching to slicks. It proved a costly gamble.

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Lap: 41/57 HAM: 2’06.607
Adami Safety Car in this lap, get ready. Charge on, RB position one, multi white RB position one. You can preselect mode race for the restart.
Hamilton Laps left?
Adami 16 in the line, one-six. K2 off at turn three. K2 once, okay copy, all set.
The race restarts
Lap: 43/57 HAM: 1’24.218
Adami DRS enabled.
Hamilton Is there more rain coming?
Adami In two laps, will be class four, lasting only two laps.
Adami Hard to overtake people on medium.
Adami Suggest engine braking two, EB2. Copy that. Spots of rain in the pit lane, for info.
Lap: 44/57 HAM: 1’29.454
Adami Two laps to heavy rain, short and sharp, heavy rain, lasting two laps.
Hamilton Okay, understood.
Lap: 45/57 HAM: 1’33.045
Adami Currently P3. For now we are staying out, let us know if you need inters.
Hamilton It’s okay, just keep me up to date with the last sector. It’s quite slippery.
Adami Yellow flag.
Approaching turn 11 Keep it on-track. Verstappen slow. Be careful 11.
Hamilton runs deep at turn 12 but stays on-track

“S***, we should have come in”

Hamilton’s frustration peaked when he realised the mistake they had made by not changing back to intermediate rubber earlier.

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Lap: 46/57 HAM: 1’36.714
Adami Sector three is the wettest.
Hamilton Is more rain coming?
Adami Negative, just this. Hopefully. Let’s see. Still raining in the pit lane. Eight seconds to the current leader. The leader is Verstappen. He’s staying out, staying out. Keep it together, last sector. Verstappen struggling for grip, be careful there.
Adami This is the wettest part, you are leading the race.
Lap: 47/57 HAM: 2’30.695
Hamilton It’s very slippery mate. There’s more rain coming down.
Hamilton is passed at the exit of turn two
Hamilton Ah shit, we should have come in. More rain’s come… Whole track’s wet now.
Adami You should stop in one lap, keep it together, Charles car behind. He’s on hard. Safety Car, Safety Car.
Hamilton Yeah, mate, it’s so slippery. It’s too dangerous to stay on this tyre. What do you suggest? It’s come down quite a lot. I don’t think this is going to dry up any time soon. Yeah it’s fully, full wet. Like inters.
Adami Yes, stand by. We think boxing if you’re happy. Still pissing down in the pit lane.
Hamilton Yeah, it’s very slippery.
Adami Yeah. Okay, box, box.
Hamilton Are you sure you put more wing that I had earlier?
Adami Confirm. Four clicks. K2 on. Tyre target seven, tyre target position seven. All clear ahead. Charge button on and mode X.

“We lost a lot of places”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Albert Park, 2025
Leclerc passed Hamilton immediately after the restart

The radio went quiet for several laps immediately after the next restart as Hamilton had his hands full. Leclerc passed him but he gained a position from Pierre Gasly.

Lap: 48/57 HAM: 1’59.219
Hamilton We lost a lot of positions?
Adami Hamilton appears not to hear this
P9 and P10.
Hamilton We lost a lot of places.
Adami Multi red FM position nine. Position one, sorry.
Hamilton Is everyone ahead on inters?
Adami Everybody on inters.
Hamilton Thought you said it wasn’t going to rain much? Just missed a big opportunity there. What position am I now? Back in…
Lap: 49/57 HAM: 2’24.575
Adami P9
Hamilton Nine again. Shit. How many laps left… Sorry, I didn’t realise the radio was on.
Adami There’ll be eight laps to go. Multi white RB8.
Adami Driver default delta zero on when you can.
Adami You can reset your multifunction position.
Lap: 50/57 HAM: 2’17.095
Hamilton How many laps left?
Adami Seven laps to go when you cross the line. Right, you’ve got Gasly ahead of you, then Hulkenberg and Stroll. P6, Stroll.
Lap: 51/57 HAM: 2’11.311
Hamilton I didn’t hear what you just said. I’ve got cars what ahead of me?
Adami Ahead is Gasly, Hulkenberg and Stroll. Stroll P6. Multi white RB position one and Safety Car in this lap. And behind you, instead, you got Charles, Tsunoda, Ocon, Piastri, car behind.
Adami It’ll be just K2 on for the restart. K2 off at turn three.
Leclerc passes Hamilton immediately after the restart. No messages are exchanged for a while

“Leave me, it’s the last lap, I can see him”

A tough race had one final blow for Hamilton. Oscar Piastri, recovering from a spin earlier in the race, mugged him around the outside of turn nine on the final lap, leaving him last of the points-scorers.

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Lap: 53/57 HAM: 1’33.039
Adami Piastri car behind, two-and-a-half seconds, 2.3
Adami Four laps to go, four laps to go. DRS enabled.
Lap: 56/57 HAM: 1’30.095
Adami Diff entry eight, suggestion, and diff mid five to help you. And Piastri car behind, 11.5.
Hamilton How many laps?
Adami The next will be the last lap. Piastri one and a half behind. Piastri 0.6 behind, 0.5.
Lap: 57/57 HAM: 1’32.418
Hamilton Leave me, it’s the last lap, I can see him.
Piastri passes Hamilton on the outside at turn nine

“Good work”

The pair kept things positive after Hamilton took the chequered flag, but they won’t want many more races like that one.

Chequered flag
Adami Hamilton crosses the line
And P10. And good work out there, you can charge button on please. Not good timing there, but good work.
Hamilton Yeah, it wasn’t great, but we keep pushing. At least we didn’t come home completely empty-handed. Let’s keep pushing.

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