The first pre-season test of Lewis Hamilton with Ferrari in Formula 1 has concluded in Bahrain and it’s proving to be more crucial than the apparent advantages and disadvantages. Hamilton finished the three-day event with the second-fastest time, outpacing his new teammate Charles Leclerc, despite completing one of the lowest number of laps. Only the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson, and a sick Lance Stroll, managed fewer laps. But what stands out is Hamilton’s comfort on the track, indicating that the main issue that haunted him at Ferrari may not have followed him here.
Evaluating Hamilton’s speed against Leclerc is no easy task, given the fluctuating run plans and weather conditions. Plus, Hamilton was still familiarizing himself with a new vehicle, so he was not quite ready to compete for the last few tenths of a second. The search for the ultimate performance, where a seemingly good car or a seemingly in-control driver, could quickly lead to problems.
Despite the caveats, it is unavoidable to draw preliminary conclusions given the high stakes of his performance. At first glance, Hamilton appears quite competitive in the car, albeit lacking some essential knowledge and facing some bumps in his and Ferrari’s attempts to hasten his adjustment. The crucial question, however, is whether the remnants of his Mercedes farewell have trailed Hamilton to Ferrari.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is seen as a lifeline for the tail end of the seven-time world champion’s career, which concluded disappointingly at Mercedes. This was partly due to the fact that its ground-effect cars were never competitive enough for a title run, and partly because Hamilton struggled to mesh with them. Hamilton’s aggressive corner-entry approach on the brake has proven ill-suited for a combination of cars and tyres that are precariously balanced.
Ground effect cars tend to suffer from entry understeer and mid-corner instability as the grip shifts from the rear to the front as the car slows down through the corner. Moreover, modern Pirelli tyres do not react well to any form of slip. Initial understeer causing the front axle to slide, followed by mid-corner instability causing the rear axle to slide, exacerbates the problem. Tyre temperatures can soar, further reducing grip.
Hamilton confesses that his natural style conflicts with what the cars require, and he has been less successful at adjusting than others, which has been a limiting factor for him. This has led to speculation that Hamilton might encounter a fundamental conflict in this era.
However, another theory suggests that the Mercedes cars Hamilton drove exacerbated these tendencies because they were so unpredictable. Even George Russell experienced the extreme balance shifts that could occur. The preliminary assessment of how Hamilton feels in the Ferrari suggests that he and his team have work to do, something Hamilton himself admits. But he’s “really enjoying” the car, a marked departure from his previous aversion to the current era of vehicles.
Hamilton’s performance on the track, particularly in the first couple of days, was somewhat restrained, primarily due to Ferrari’s run plan that did not include set-up changes to improve Hamilton’s comfort in the car. Hamilton, however, feels the car is responsive to his inputs.
While Hamilton refrained from making any competitive predictions before his final half-day in the car on Friday, he expressed it was “the most positive feeling I’ve had in a long time”. It was always plausible that a switch to Ferrari would alleviate the worst aspects of Hamilton’s experience, as Ferraris have generally been more accommodating of a ‘brake late and turn hard’ style than the Mercedes.
In Bahrain, Hamilton did not seem to struggle with the tricky Turn 10 left-hander from braking to turning in, unlike the two Mercedes drivers. This corner is particularly challenging as drivers are attempting to shed speed from the quick Turn 9 left-hander that comes before it, while the track descends and the corner tightens.
The disparate track conditions between Hamilton’s runs and Leclerc’s impact our ability to accurately compare the two. However, their fastest laps from day two were very similar – with no clear indication of Hamilton overshooting the corner entry and losing laptime on the exit. He held his own against Leclerc in this regard, gaining time particularly through Turn 1.
The limited data available suggests Hamilton was braking slightly later than Leclerc, and probably slightly harder as he slowed down to a lower minimum speed. However, crucially, he was able to rotate the car sufficiently to get back on the power earlier. Any speed and laptime lost mid-corner was compensated, or eclipsed, by the time gained under braking and on exit.
There are also hints of a similar throttle and brake overlap from Hamilton as Leclerc has used to such good effect in the Ferrari. So when Hamilton trails a little bit of throttle while braking into a corner, perhaps that is rewarded in the Ferrari – or at least not causing a problem like it may have in the Mercedes.
It is too early to declare anything a clear trend. The Australian Grand Prix will provide a better gauge. However, if Hamilton’s typical driving style is reverting to how it was pre-2022, that is very significant.
Ultimately, there were restrictions to what Hamilton could achieve in this test. The final day was intended as an opportunity for him to push the car further, tweak the set-up, and finally do some real long running to understand how the car behaves in a race stint. In this respect, the test was not as successful as it could have been, leaving Hamilton slightly underprepared as he heads to Australia.
However, he is very pleased with what he described as the “foundation” for his season, for which the compatibility between how Hamilton likes to drive and what the Ferrari needs will be vital.