According to Gary Anderson, a former engineer for many Formula 1 teams, Lewis Hamilton has not had a great approach to the SF-25.
This week, the highly anticipated Formula 1 season will begin at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Among the many changes this season, the most notable is, of course, Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari. However, according to Gary Anderson, a former engineer for many F1 teams, the English driver hasn’t had a great approach to the SF-25.
Specifically, the New Zealander stated: “From 2022 to 2024, he faced various difficulties with Mercedes, and last year was the lowest point. Despite two victories, it was the most challenging season of his career. It’s still early to judge, but from the first impressions, it doesn’t seem that the new Ferrari offers a clear improvement over the W15. In the early laps, the SF-25 didn’t appear particularly intuitive to drive. Hamilton prefers a stable car that allows him to maximize his talent and reduce lap times, but this characteristic doesn’t seem to emerge immediately.”
Anderson then added: “When Hamilton went out on track, the car showed some degree of bouncing, which led him to make small mistakes. It’s normal to have uncertainties at this early stage of the season, but when a driver of his caliber struggles to maintain precision in certain sections, you can hypothesize that the car isn’t yet giving him the ideal feedback.”
According to Anderson, Leclerc could help Hamilton with specific setup adjustments: “It’s still too early to draw definitive conclusions. Some setup adjustments could improve the situation, and with Charles Leclerc, who is more familiar with Ferrari’s design philosophy, more precise feedback on the car’s behavior can be obtained.”
