Lewis Hamilton is currently trailing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.8 seconds during Bahrain testing this week.
Early reports from Marca (Spain) and La Repubblica (Italy) indicate that Leclerc’s impressive lap time of 56.06 seconds at Fiorano in the SF-25 is second only to Michael Schumacher’s 2004 record.
This performance has raised expectations for the Scuderia, while Hamilton’s lap times, measured by unofficial stopwatches, have been slower in comparison.
“Everything is different,” said Hamilton.
“And it’s not often that any car suits you straight away. But I don’t think I’ll need to change my driving style. My style is quite similar to Charles’ and I’m already comfortable and gradually adapting.”
However, Ferrari’s new technical boss, Loic Serra, remains unfazed by the gap. He emphasised that Hamilton is still adjusting to the car, suggesting that the Briton’s performance will improve over time.
Ferrari, focusing on motivation and hunger, has made it clear that there is no room for panic, despite the early testing results.
“It does not scare me,” Serra told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Lewis is an extraordinary driver who is always hungry for new challenges. I am sure that at Ferrari he will be as fast as in his best years at the top of Formula 1.”
While the competition between Hamilton and Leclerc heats up, it is evident that the Ferrari team is placing their trust in their strategy and not overreacting to early testing times.
