After seemingly hitting rock bottom morale-wise in qualifying for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton rebounded by guiding his Ferrari to fifth place from ninth on the grid. Team-mate Charles Leclerc was fourth after starting second.
For Hamilton, this was arguably the best result possible without retirements ahead.
Afterwards, Hamilton was the most upbeat he has been since winning the sprint race in China, suggesting he had made a breakthrough in understanding the car, and how he needs to adapt to get the best out of it.
Brake feel is crucial for Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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“What’s clear is that, as humans, we really get stuck in our ways,” Hamilton said to Sky Sports F1. “And I feel like I’ve been driving a car with the same team for such a long time… and I’ve move to a new car and it requires such different driving style and settings.
“I’ve been using engine braking, which I’ve never used in my previous years. Much different brakes – we’re on Brembos, I’ve been on CIs [Carbone Industrie] for the past 15 years or so.
“The car requires a much different driving style. So I’m adjusting to that, and I think I’m slowly getting it into my head, and getting the balance right.
“What Charles does is he starts with a set-up, and he stays with it pretty much all weekend, and last week and this weekend I was a long way away from him, then just before qualifying I got close to him but then the settings were all off. I’ve got to do a better job through the weekend and I will.”
“I’ve got to make it easy for myself – I’m doing it all the hard way at the moment. I’ll try next week to start in a better place and not deviate too much. As I said, I think I’ve figured out how the car likes to drive so if I apply that next week, if I can qualify better I’ll have a much better weekend.
The choice of brake manufacturer might seem like an abstruse point but, at the point of interface with the driver, the braking process is a combination of muscle memory and feel. The driver becomes accustomed not just to the bite point of the brakes, but the strength of the initial bite and the progression of the braking effort, through to the sensations transmitted through the pedal that the lock-up point is imminent.
Making the right strategy calls
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
In Bahrain, both Ferraris ran a different strategy to the majority of the field, starting on medium-compound tyres while rest of the top 10 started on used softs.
While Leclerc lost two positions at the start – to George Russell and
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