Sport nationLEWIS HAMILTON ADMITS FERRARI “HAVE WORK TO DO” AFTER PRE-SEASON TESTING
Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that Ferrari still have significant improvements to make after the conclusion of pre-season testing. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari from Mercedes in 2024, ended the final day of testing sixth fastest, 0.8 seconds behind pacesetter George Russell.
Hamilton’s comments came after a day in which Ferrari’s pace was eclipsed by several rival teams, including Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren. While Hamilton was optimistic about the foundation laid by Ferrari during testing, he conceded that the team still has a considerable amount of work to do to bridge the gap to the front-runners.
“It’s hard to know what fuel loads everyone is running, so you have to take everything with a pinch of salt,” Hamilton said. “As with Red Bull, they dominated for many years. We’ve definitely got some work to do to improve.”
Despite the challenges faced by Ferrari, Hamilton remained upbeat about the team’s prospects, citing the strong foundation established during testing. “I feel like we’ve built a really good foundation, but these guys out there look really competitive, it looks very close,” he said.
Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, also faced difficulties during testing, with the Monegasque driver ending the day ninth fastest, 1.266 seconds behind Russell. Ferrari’s struggles were compounded by the team’s decision to curtail Hamilton’s running prematurely, denying him the opportunity to complete a planned race distance.
The outcome of pre-season testing has provided a fascinating glimpse into the competitive landscape of Formula 1, with several teams appearing to have made significant strides over the winter. While Ferrari’s pace was not as strong as some had anticipated, Hamilton’s optimism about the team’s foundation suggests that they may still be a force to be reckoned with when the season gets underway.
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