Hamilton's search for speed at Ferrari continues · RaceFans

The Bahrain Grand Prix gave Lewis Hamilton cause to believe he will eventually master his new Ferrari, but also demonstrated he still has some way to go.

Hamilton was dejected after qualifying almost six tenths of a second slower than team mate Charles Leclerc. His race began well, with two strong stints on the medium rubber, but he struggled more on the hards later on.

Race engineer Ricardo Adami fed Hamilton constant updates on how to fine-tune his driving to wring the most out of the SF-25. Turn eight, a sharp right-hander which follows a pair of medium-speed corners, remained a persistent problem.

By the end of the race, unable to make progress with persistent understeer on his hard tyres, Hamilton had to ask for a break from the stream of information. But he and the team were clearly pleased with his pace at points earlier in the race. Whether he can use this as a basis for improvement will largely rest on whether he can qualify better, as he admitted afterwards.

Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix radio messages

Stint 1: Medium
Stint 2: Medium
Stint 3: Hard
Finish

Stint 1: Medium

Hamilton held his position at the start, then passed Carlos Sainz Jnr for eighth place on lap nine. As those who started ahead of him on soft tyres pitted Hamilton, on mediums, rose to second place behind Leclerc. The pair pitted together at the end of lap 17, at which point they were separated by 10 seconds but producing similar lap times.

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Lap: 4/57 HAM: 1’38.654

Hamilton

Gripping quite poor, this tyre.

Adami

Understood. Charles lap time 38.5, Piastri lap time, 38.1.

Lap: 5/57 HAM: 1’39.465

Adami

There is one tenth to find into eight, brake peak and early turn-in.

Lap: 8/57 HAM: 1’39.743

Adami

B-bal 59 and left toggle turn 11.

Lap: 9/57 HAM: 1’40.945

Adami

Tsunoda 0.7 behind, the softs are starting to struggle.

Adami

And focus exit 14, last corner. Tsunoda 1.1 behind.

Lap: 11/57 HAM: 1’39.146

Hamilton

Tyre’s still okay, slowly coming back to temperature.

Adami

Okay, plan B for bravo.

Hamilton

Rears definitely dropping.

Lap: 12/57 HAM: 1’38.885

Hamilton

Where are we losing time?

Adami

I’ll come back to you.

Adami

Turn eight, turn eight.

Lap: 13/57 HAM: 1’38.903

Adami

That was a good 13. Early turn in, turn eight.

Adami

Improve half a tenth in turn eight, another half a tenth to be found.

Lap: 14/57 HAM: 1’39.127

Hamilton

Tyres are feeling okay, car is still a little bit on the nose.

Hamilton

Gap ahead?

Adami

9.4

Lap: 16/57 HAM: 1’39.486

Hamilton

Where am I losing so much time?

Adami

Turn 10 and 11, one tenth, brake deep into 11.

Hamilton

Tyres are definitely dropping.

Adami

Copy that.

Stint 2: Medium

Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race as he began his second stint on another set of the medium compound tyres. His pace dropped over the following laps as he passed a succession of drivers: Jack Doohan, Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Once in free air his lap times were close to those of race leader Oscar Piastri whose tyres were the same compound, albeit three laps older. However his progress was interrupted when the Safety Car was deployed due to debris.

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Lap: 17/57 HAM: 1’41.684

Adami

And box, pit confirm and box.

Lap: 19/57 HAM: 1’36.798

Adami

P10. 1.7 delta phase to Doohan ahead, 2.8 ahead.

Hamilton

Yeah, let me know what kind of pace you need me doing. And let me know where I’m losing things.

Lap: 22/57 HAM: 1’38.010

Adami

Awesome job out there mate, Verstappen 0.7 behind.

Lap: 23/57 HAM: 1’37.924

Adami

We are P8.

Adami

And one second delta pace to Ocon for P6.

Lap: 25/57 HAM: 1’37.663

Adami

Next car ahead is Gasly, 4.4 seconds.

Lap: 26/57 HAM: 1’37.385

Hamilton

Early turn in turn eight, two tenths.

Lap: 28/57 HAM: 1’37.674

Adami

Lap 27 completed.

Hamilton

How’s the pace?

Adami

Pace is good. Charles 7.9.

Hamilton

Is the hard tyre any good?

Lap: 29/57 HAM: 1’37.288

Adami

The hard tyre is on-model, and you have free air. Norris 10 seconds ahead.

Adami

Got good lap times now.

Adami

You’re doing a good job, keep focusing on brake release.

Lap: 30/57 HAM: 1’37.517

Adami

Piastri is P1, 20 seconds ahead of you. Piastri is 7.7, and Charles 7.8 And Norris 8.1, pace is very good.

Lap: 31/57 HAM: 1’37.598

Adami

Need to brake into 8 and 11, brake release, one tenth each corner.

Hamilton

Repeat.

Adami

Brake release into eight and 11, one-tenth in each to be found.

Stint 3: Hard

Ferrari switched both their drivers onto the hard tyre compound during the Safety Car period. Hamilton seemed to be briefly confused by the restart procedure at one point, asking Adami whether there would be a rolling restart, which was always going to be the case as the race was not red-flagged.

When the race restarted Hamilton briefly got ahead of Lando Norris, who went off the track re-passing the Ferrari and had to give the position back again. Norris eventually passed Hamilton for good then began to pull away.

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Lap: 32/57 HAM: 1’55.663

Hamilton

Gap ahead, am I closing or not?

Adami

Safety Car. We are boxing.

Lap: 33/57 HAM: 2’32.194

Hamilton

Great job with the stops, guys, great job.

Hamilton

Did we lose positions?

Adami

Negative. P5 on the road.

Adami

And for pace, just turn eight and 11, brake release.

Hamilton

Has someone gone off?

Adami

Just debris between three and four.

Lap: 35/57 HAM: 2’23.064

Hamilton

Is it rolling? It’s rolling, right?

Adami

Yeah, safety car in this lap, and racing there.

Hamilton

Yeah, just repeat where I was losing.

Adami

Mode race and K1 will be for the restart. Charge on now, so it’ll be K1 to override. Re-select mode race. All set. Brake release into eight and 11 to improve and set your brake balance for the restart. Safety Car is at turn 12, approaching turn 12. Exit 14, last corner with an early turn-in to focus as well.

Lap: 36/57 HAM: 1’37.514

Hamilton

Lando passed me off the track.

Adami

Understood.

Hamilton

Off the track, turn four.

Adami

Set your brake balance, understood, we are reporting. Car behind 0.7.

Lap: 37/57 HAM: 1’36.235

Adami

DRS enabled. Car behind 0.8, it’s Gasly.

Hamilton

Norris has been told to give you back the position ahead.

Hamilton was clearly less happy on the hard tyre compound. He suffered more understeer, which amplified the problems he’d had earlier in the race.

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Hamilton

Less front end on this tyre.

Lap: 38/57 HAM: 1’37.198

Hamilton

Yeah, this tyre sucks.

Adami

Understood, still a long way, 19.

Lap: 40/57 HAM: 1’36.659

Hamilton

Got a lot of understeer at turn 14.

Adami

Understood. Work on it.

Adami

B-bal 59.

Hamilton

Ah, I’m locking rears mate.

Adami

Understood. And keep using that left toggle, you’re doing good.

Lap: 41/57 HAM: 1’36.848

Hamilton

Struggling to keep up at the moment.

Adami

Understood. Focus exit 14, last corner.

Hamilton

The car won’t turn.

Hamilton

How far off am I?

Adami

We are 6.7 seconds behind Piastri and 1.7 behind Norris. Norris lap time 6.2.

Lap: 42/57 HAM: 1’37.115

Adami

Improve brake peak into 14, one tenth to be found.

Hamilton

[Unclear] on this tyre?

Adami

Standby, engine braking two, suggestion.

Lap: 43/57 HAM: 1’36.756

Adami

You can go mode X, mode X. And Charles lap time 36.5. B-mig three, suggestion, B-mig three.

Lap: 44/57 HAM: 1’37.001

Adami

On previous lap we got our first strike for track limits, turn four, for info.

Adami

Brake peak, early turn in into eight, switch yellow.

Lap: 45/57 HAM: 1’37.034

Adami

Engine braking three, suggestion.

Adami

Also brake release into 14, suggestion.

Adami

Try to prepare better turn seven also, one-tenth to be found.

Lap: 46/57 HAM: 1’37.025

Hamilton

How many laps?

Adami

11 to go

Hamilton

Yeah, just lacking front wing, mate.

Adami

Roger that.

Lap: 47/57 HAM: 1’36.882

Adami

Driver default delta zero on.

Adami

Engine braking four, suggestion.

Adami

Try to improve apex speed turn 14 if you can. That’s the only place we are losing now.

Lap: 48/57 HAM: 1’37.017

Adami

Use more turn-in entry 14. Car behind is Gasly, 4.4 seconds, ahead is Norris 5.4.

Finish

As the end of the race drew near, Hamilton found he couldn’t extract the last few tenths of a second that Leclerc was getting out of the hards. He asked Adami to give him fewer updates on where he was losing time.

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Lap: 49/57 HAM: 1’37.633

Adami

And check your pit board…

Hamilton

[Interrupts] Yeah mate, just don’t give me too much now.

Adami

Understood.

Hamilton

That’s enough, thanks.

Lap: 50/57 HAM: 1’37.576

Hamilton

How much am I down?

Adami

Charles lap time 7.6. And one tenth to be found in turn eight with early turn-in.

Lap: 51/57 HAM: 1’38.112

Adami

And try to [unclear] entry into 11.

Hamilton

How many laps?

Adami

Six to go when you cross the line.

Lap: 52/57 HAM: 1’37.747

Hamilton

Yeah I just have no pace, mate. Understeers a lot.

Adami

And focus on the exit with early turn in. And car ahead is Charles, six seconds, five to go.

Lap: 53/57 HAM: 1’38.162

Hamilton

I know, I can see him mate, just leave me to it for now, please.

Lap: 55/57 HAM: 1’38.026

Adami

And go to [state of charge] four.

Lap: 56/57 HAM: 1’38.062

Adami

Two laps to go.

Lap: 57/57 HAM: 1’38.438

Adami

Starting the last lap.

Chequered flag

Adami

And P5, P5. Good comeback, good job. And charge on.

Hamilton

Guys, great job in the pit stops. Really fantastic work. Thank you so much for the hard work to get us back up here. I know it’s not the results we wanted, but I’ll keep pushing, keep working harder. Thank you so much. Grazie.

Adami

Yeah, thank you very much indeed. And pick up, please. You are the driver of the day.

Hamilton

Grazie a tutti.

Adami

Roger that, and we’ll give it all.