The Mercedes team principal, who worked with Hamilton for 12 years, spent the first half of the 2024 season looking for a replacement for the Ferrari-bound driver.
Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were among the contenders, with Wolff eventually opting to promote teenage prodigy Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell this year.
Yet Wolff made no secret of his desire to sign Hamilton’s 2021 foe Verstappen – especially amid unrest at Red Bull at the start of last season – and details as such in season seven of Drive to Survive, released on Friday.
“So Carlos [Sainz] is somebody to look at, he’s had some really good performances,” Wolff says, in conversation with wife Susie.
Wolff then responds: “I think he is. But, if you win all the races in a season, I think he is.
“I haven’t spoken to him because I promised Lewis I wouldn’t talk to him but I will have the conversation now.”
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season but has also been linked with a move to Aston Martin ahead of new regulations coming into force next year.
The 2025 F1 season starts with the Australian GP on 16 March, while season seven of Drive to Survive is released on Netflix on Friday.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari is facing an internal investigation (Image: Getty)
Ferrari are reportedly one of two teams – the other being McLaren – expecting factory visits from FIA delegates – after Red Bull prepared an ‘official and accusatory file’ about the teams’ rear wings. The FIA clamped down on rear-wing flexibility last season after onboard footage from Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 machine at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix showed the component flexing under load on the straights.
This was dubbed the ‘mini-DRS’ effect and was a common technical talking point for the teams. This was outlawed from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards last year, but Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache was left furious after pre-season testing. “It’s still happening,” he told The Race. “I believe Ferrari and McLaren are persisting with the mini-DRS tactics.”
Now, the FIA will take action after Red Bull filed an ‘official and accusatory file’ against two of their biggest title rivals. According to a report from Italian publication FUnoAnalisiTechnica, delegates of the sport’s governing body will visit the factories in Woking and Maranello before the start of the season next weekend.
This will mean nervous waits for Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The two Brits are targeting the Drivers’ Championship title this season after successful pre-season tests, although they face competition from Ferrari and Red Bull.
Red Bull have also complained about the McLaren rear wing (Image: Getty)
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“In my opinion, it will be a three-way or four-way battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and us,” he told German news outlet Sport.de. “Although, if you look at the test results, McLaren already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly McLaren.”
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Asked to discuss the size of the gap between McLaren and Red Bull, he continued: “It’s hard to say exactly what that looks like, because the weather conditions were completely out of the norm. It was cold, there was strong wind. It was even raining.
Met Gala chair, co-producer on a Brad Pitt movie, activist, and now Ferrari driver.
Lewis Hamilton‘s impact stretches far beyond Formula 1 and his quest to win a record-breaking eighth world title with his new team.
The partnership of F1’s biggest celebrity — and only Black driver — with its biggest brand reaches people who don’t consider themselves F1 fans, and may not even have watched a race.
A 13-month countdown
In some respects, Hamilton’s move is already a marketing triumph. He won’t race for Ferrari until next week in Australia, ending 13 months of hype since he announced his decision to leave Mercedes.
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“Obviously the commercial success and the success for Ferrari’s brand has been unprecedented,” Michael E. Sawyer, author of an upcoming biography of Hamilton, “Sir Lewis,” told The Associated Press. “It just makes the brand that much more iconic. It’s always been about pushing boundaries.”
Expectations are high, too, around Hamilton’s potential impact in Italy in terms of representation and creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.
“When it was announced that (Hamilton) was in Ferrari, the industry started thinking, especially in fashion, that things would start changing,” Michelle Francine Ngonmo, the founder of Afro Fashion Week Milano and an advocate for diversity in Italian fashion, told the AP.
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Hamilton’s first photos as a Ferrari employee were curated to perfection. His sometimes-playful fashion sense took a traditional turn with a sharp double-breasted suit as he posed in front of company founder Enzo Ferrari’s house.
A fast start, or time to adapt?
Hamilton’s celebrity status extended beyond F1 years ago. Where other drivers arrive for a race weekend in branded team gear, he turns up in high fashion.
His friendships with influential fashion figures, involvement with the Met Gala — he’s a chair for this year’s event in May — and a co-producer role on the upcoming Hollywood movie “F1” all allow Hamilton to reach non-sports audiences in a way other drivers can’t.
With so much attention on their new partnership, the 40-year-old Hamilton and Ferrari could risk disappointment if he doesn’t win the long-sought-after eighth title.
Hamilton was broadly on pace with rivals and his teammate Charles Leclerc over three days of preseason testing in Bahrain last week. Still, Hamilton said he and Ferrari have “definitely got some work to do to improve.”
Hamilton has indicated he needs time to adapt, but one key rival has argued a successful start will be key to keep Ferrari’s passionate fans on board.
“They’ll love him if he’s quick and he delivers and he’ll feed off that energy,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last month. “If it doesn’t get off to a good start, then it’ll inevitably be harder for him.”
Activism and representation
Hamilton has always brought his own perspective to the sport.
His advocacy on racism, police violence, LGBTQ rights and environmental causes has reached audiences around the world, and put the spotlight on human rights in many of the countries where F1 goes racing.
Hamilton also spent his time at Mercedes working behind the scenes to increase inclusion within the team and promote science and technology careers among children from diverse backgrounds. He said last year he wanted to do the same at Ferrari and that the team was “super excited” to participate. No details have been released yet.
“It would be great for the community here in Italy to actually see these kind of initiatives being implemented, going beyond the words,” Ngonmo said.
The size and potentially long-term nature of Ferrari’s commitment to Hamilton is a sign the company “understands without any question the things that he’s concerned about,” said Sawyer, Hamilton’s biographer. “I think Ferrari and Lewis went into this with their eyes open. They know exactly what they’re doing.”
Belonging in Italy
Sawyer, who is associate professor of African American literature and culture at the University of Pittsburgh, said one way to illustrate Hamilton’s impact in Italy was in comparison with soccer greats.
The buzz around Hamilton is similar to when Diego Maradona played for Napoli in the 1980s, Sawyer suggested, but also cautioned that Italy hasn’t always treated Black athletes warmly, pointing to the racism faced by Italian soccer player Mario Balotelli.
In an interview with Time last month, Hamilton said he’s thought about soccer racism in Italy in the context of joining Ferrari. “I’m not going to lie, it definitely crossed my mind when I was thinking about my decision,” he said.
“Like in so many things, it’s often such a small group of people that set that trend for many. I don’t think that it’s going to be a problem.”
One way Hamilton has already endeared himself to Italians is by using Italian words and phrases in interviews, something Ngonmo welcomes.
“I think he is trying to make people understand,” she said, “that Italy could be a place where everyone can belong.”
Ferrari-voorzitter John Elkann vindt het een oneerlijke conclusie dat Lewis Hamilton alleen naar Ferrari zou zijn gehaald als ‘marketingstrategie’. Volgens de Scuderia-topman heeft zowel Ferrari als Hamilton dat helemaal niet nodig. Waar de Italiaanse renstal echter wel behoefte aan heeft, is het winnen van kampioenschappen.
Het besluit van Ferrari om meervoudig Grand Prix-winnaar Carlos Sainz te vervangen door Lewis Hamilton kon niet alleen op veel verbazing en enthousiasme rekenen. Ook de aandelenkoers van het Italiaanse team schoot meteen omhoog met maar liefst zeven miljard euro. Veel analisten riepen de overstap van de zevenvoudig wereldkampioen daarom meteen uit tot een succes, maar volgens Ferrari-voorzitter John Elkann is dat iets te kort door de bocht.
“Ik denk dat het echt oneerlijk is tegenover Lewis, dat sommige commentatoren zeggen: ‘Dit is een marketingstrategie’,” vertelt de voorzitter aan Time Magazine. “Lewis heeft dat niet nodig. Ferrari heeft dat niet nodig.” Elkann benadrukt dat Hamilton naar Ferrari is gehaald vanwege zijn sportieve prestaties. “Wat we wel nodig hebben is om kampioenschappen te winnen en om samen geweldige dingen te doen op het circuit.”
Risico
Voormalig Ferrari-topman Luca di Montezemolo bevestigt Elkanns uitspraken. “Hamiltons komst bij Ferrari is meer dan een marketingplan. Hij wil zijn carrière afsluiten door nog een keertje in het rood te winnen”, vertelt de Italiaanse zakenman aan Radio GR Parlamento.
“De keuze voor Hamilton is aan de ene kant natuurlijk juist een risico, omdat je een kampioen binnenhaalt die al zoveel heeft gewonnen. Aan de andere kant heb je echter Charles Leclerc, die ondanks allerlei goede races nog nooit een titel heeft gewonnen.” Di Montezemolo voorspelt in ieder geval een ‘interessant jaar’ voor de Scuderia.
De seizoenspecial van FORMULE 1 Magazine is uit! Ruim 100 pagina’s, met onder andere een interview met Red Bull-teambaas Christian Horner, reportages met en over Liam Lawson en Carlos Sainz. Verder een vooruitblik op komend seizoen met Jan Lammers en Jeroen Bleekemolen. En, natuurlijk, alle teams, coureurs, circuits, GP’s en tijdschema’s. Een onmisbaar naslagwerk voor iedere F1-liefhebber. Bestel ‘m nu alvast online, met gratis bezorging in heel Nederland.
There is an inexact measurement that may prove a lot more significant than the obvious pros and cons from Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula 1 pre-season test with Ferrari.
Hamilton ended three days in Bahrain second fastest, quicker than new team-mate Charles Leclerc, albeit with one of the lowest lap counts – only the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson, and an unwell Lance Stroll, managed fewer laps – and with no real long run preparation.
Perhaps more importantly Hamilton also looked at ease in the car and – caveated though this may be – some initial data analysis indicates no obvious sign of the chief problem that plagued him at Ferrari.
Hamilton’s own speed against Leclerc is difficult to judge from different times of the day, given varying run plans and weather conditions. Plus, Hamilton was getting to grips with a new car so not yet at the point where he knew where to search for the last couple of tenths.
That pursuit of the final bit of performance where a car that feels quite good, or a driver that seems in control, can tip over into trouble.
Caveats considered, so much is riding on his performance that drawing initial conclusions is inevitable. And on the surface some basic ones would therefore be that Hamilton seems pretty competitive in the car, although he is missing some crucial knowledge and has not had the smoothest time in his and Ferrari’s effort to expedite his adaptation.
The big question is whether the ghosts of his Mercedes farewell have followed Hamilton to Ferrari. This move is meant to revive the end of the seven-time world champion’s career after his trophy-laden Mercedes stint came to a disappointing conclusion – partly because its ground-effect cars have never been good enough to fight for a title but also because Hamilton in particular really struggled to gel with them.
Hamilton’s natural way of attacking corner entries on the brake has not been a good fit for a combination of cars and tyres that have been too easily on a knife edge.
These cars have a tendency to suffer entry understeer and mid-corner instability as the ground effect is reduced when the car slows down so the grip shifts from the rear to the front as the car goes through the corner.
Plus, modern Pirelli tyres do not respond well to any kind of slip; if the front axle slides due to initial understeer and then the rear axle slides due to mid-corner instability, it results in a compounded problem. Tyre temperatures can spike and the grip reduces further.
Elements of this are obviously intrinsic to the current rules. Hamilton admits his natural style has clashed with what the cars need, and he has not been able to adapt as well as others, so that’s been a limitation on his part. Hence a theory that Hamilton might face a fundamental clash in this era.Ferrari searching for balance and answers at end of F1 test
Another theory, though, is that the Mercedes cars Hamilton drove brought the worst of these tendencies to the surface because they were so unpredictable. Even George Russell suffered from the extreme balance swings that could be encountered.
The early verdict of how Hamilton feels in the Ferrari is that there’s work for him and his team to do, something that Hamilton himself admits, but he is “really enjoying” the car. That is already a departure from before, when Hamilton admitted he hated the current era of cars.
When Hamilton was looking a little bit limited on-track, particularly in the first couple of days, that came primarily in a phase of Ferrari working through a run plan that didn’t include set-up changes to give Hamilton a better feeling in the car.
Hamilton feels the car is underneath him, and responding to his inputs, though. Hence while avoiding making any competitive prediction before his final half-day in the car on Friday, Hamilton had been willing to say it was “the most positive feeling I’ve had in a long time”.
It was always possible that a switch to Ferrari would mitigate the worst aspects of what Hamilton experienced, as the Ferraris have generally shown more tolerance for a ‘brake late and turn hard’ style than the Mercedes.
In Bahrain, Hamilton did not seem to have an awkward transition from braking to turn in into the tricky Turn 10 left-hander which, at times, the two Mercedes drivers were. That corner is very awkward as drivers are trying to scrub speed off from the quick Turn 9 left-hander that precedes it, all the while the track drops down and the corner gets ever-tighter.
The fact track conditions were different between Hamilton’s runs and Leclerc’s impacts Hamilton’s own reference for how to finesse his driving further in the Ferrari much less our ability to accurately compare the two.
But their fastest laps from day two, for example, were very similar – with no obvious hint of Hamilton overdoing it corner entry and then bleeding laptime on the exit. He compared well to Leclerc in this regard, gaining time through Turn 1 in particular.
The limited data that exists would suggest Hamilton was braking slightly later than Leclerc, and probably slightly harder as he slowed down to a lower minimum speed, but crucially was getting the car rotated enough to get back on the power earlier. So what speed and laptime was sacrified 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 triggering a problem like it may have in the Mercedes?
It is too early to commit to anything being a clear trend. And the Australian Grand Prix will offer a better indicator. But if Hamilton’s typical driving style is working more like it would have pre-2022, that is very significant.
Ultimately, there were limitations to what Hamilton could work through in this test. Having followed the team’s programme on the first couple of days the final day was meant to be an opportunity for him to start to push the car more, play with the set-up, and of course 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. And it means Hamilton goes to Australia slightly underprepared.
But he is very happy with what he called the “foundation” for his season, for which the compatibility between how Hamilton likes to drive and what the Ferrari needs will be critical.
Lewis Hamilton has completed pre-season testing as he prepares for his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
After giving the SF-25 a shakedown at Fiorano earlier last month, the seven-time champion took to the track in Bahrain for three days of testing.
Hamilton’s outing was fairly uneventful, running only 162 laps across the test. While he encountered no issues with his Ferrari, the Brit only drove more laps than three other drivers: both Red Bulls and Lance Stroll.
Nevertheless, Bahrain was a positive test for Hamilton, who learned more about his 2025 car and working with his team. Hamilton is ‘really looking’ at Sebastian Vettel’s preparations with Riccardo Adami as he gears up for this season with the Italian as his race engineer.
Hamilton’s ‘demeanour’ has changed since testing with Ferrari as he looks more positive than ever ahead of the season. The 40-year-old is looking to stamp his authority with the Maranello outfit, but he will face tough competition from his teammate.
Charles Leclerc is well-established at Ferrari and will be gunning for the drivers’ championship in 2025 after the team missed out on the constructors’ title last year to McLaren. His and Hamilton’s data in Bahrain suggest the latter and adopted one of the former’s ‘dynamite’ traits.
Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton shared Charles Leclerc’s ‘dynamite’ throttle and brake overlap approach in Bahrain
Leclerc is known as one of the strongest drivers over one lap in qualifying. A key reason for this is how he uses throttle and brake overlap through the corners.
The approach consists of using the throttle and brake pedals – slightly – simultaneously to allow for more engine power and faster cornering speed. While it can be risky if not executed correctly, Leclerc seems to have mastered the technique.
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As per The Race, Ferrari’s data from Bahrain showed the Monagasque driver using the throttle and brake overlap through the medium-speed corners. Interestingly, Hamilton was also seen using the approach through turn 10 which saw him gain time over his teammate.
This ‘similar’ trait to Leclerc, as journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm put it, could help Hamilton in 2025 if the SF-25 can handle it: “As ever, Leclerc is doing more throttle and brake overlap across the lap.
“This can be dynamite in qualifying in particular and has always been used to great effect by Leclerc, especially in Bahrain where some of the corner layouts really reward the unique way he slows the car down and rotates it while maintaining an unusually high minimum speed.
“At medium-speed corners where the front can get overly stressed, Leclerc somehow manages to get the car rotated while still applying a bit of excess throttle, enabling him to get on full power exiting the corner earlier.
“At the slow-speed turn 10 though, there’s a hint of some throttle and brake overlap from Hamilton that gains him time against Leclerc. Excess throttle was also evident in the Mercedes days, so it’s possible that Hamilton has a similar, if less exaggerated trait to Leclerc, which could help if the Ferrari can handle it.”
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images
Is Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Ferrari good enough to fight for the title?
Some ‘paddock chatter’ suggests Mercedes have overtaken Ferrari in development after a strong pre-season from the Silver Arrows. Hamilton’s heart will sink when he hears this having just left the team after being frustrated with inconsistent machinery.
It appears Hamilton is looking for inspiration from Leclerc to find the groove with the SF-25. If the car can handle the approach, the duo could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes that Fred Vasseur will need to make some ‘hard decisions’ between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as the duo navigate their first season as Ferrari team-mates. Hamilton arrives in Maranello with the ambition of restoring Ferrari to their former glory and adding an eighth Drivers’ Championship title to his collection.
Leclerc, meanwhile, has been the Scuderia’s leading man since toppling Sebastian Vettel and has been patiently waiting for his own chance to win an F1 crown. As things stand, the two team-mates have an exemplary relationship and have been working in harmony during the off-season to help Ferrari maximise their performance from a radically overhauled design concept in the SF-25.
Lewis Hamilton eighth title ‘very possible’ after F1 testing as expert gives verdict
“Both of these drivers they drove for Fred’s F2 and F3 teams, Lewis and Charles,” Steiner told CNN. “So he has got good relationships in person. That’s for both of them. They have respect for Fred because, without Fred, they wouldn’t be where they are. So that is a good place to be.”
The former Haas boss continued: “Obviously, there will be times when Fred needs to take hard decisions. But I don’t think he is afraid of it. I think he put himself in having these two drivers in a good position to win a championship.”
One only has to look to Hamilton’s past to understand the perils of having two competitive team-mates vying for World Championships. Relationships strained between the Brit and Fernando Alonso during the early days of his career with McLaren, and the same happened with Nico Rosberg when Mercedes dominated the turbo-hybrid era.
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Despite the possibility of fireworks, team principal Vasseur believes that internal competition could be what Ferrari need to take the next step. “Well, it’s always an opportunity and one of the skills of the driver is to try to always improve,” he said.
Sacked F1 driver who issued grovelling Lewis Hamilton apology is heir to £2.7bn fortune
“A good way to improve is also to take the experience or the performance of your team-mate, because it’s the driver that is the closest to you and you can have access to the data that you can work with. If you are clever, you can do a step with the potential of your team-mate.
“I’m fully, fully sure, because we already did two TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) and the shakedown today, that it will be the case. Honestly, I’m not scared at all with this, because we need to have this kind of emulation.
“I spoke about it last year between Charles and Carlos [Sainz]. It was already the case, but as a team, if we want to perform, we need to have two drivers performing. We need to have two drivers in a kind of competition, a positive competition and a positive emulation. And I’m sure that it will be the case.”
Lewis Hamilton has ruled out swapping the iconic “Hammer Time” hurry-up message said by Peter Bonnington for over a decade for “tempo di Martello” as it just wouldn’t sound right.
Last season Formula 1 fans heard ‘Bono’ telling Hamilton that it is “Hammer Time” for the very last time at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton’s last race with Mercedes.
There’s no ‘tempo di martello’ in Lewis Hamilton’s future
Saying farewell to not only the team but also his long-time race engineer, Hamilton admitted that it was a bitter-sweet moment when he realised that was the last ‘Hammer Time’ he would hear.
“I noticed that today,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com after the Yas Marina race. “When he told me, I was like I can’t even remember the last time he told me ‘hammer time’.
“I remember I told Bono to say ‘hammer time’ back in the first year together. I was like, ‘Don’t just tell me to go faster, tell me it’s ‘hammer time’ and I know what it is’.
“What a rollercoaster ride I’ve had with Bono. He’s been one of my closest friends for many years.
“It’s something I didn’t expect to have because he worked with Michael Schumacher—he’s worked with great drivers and for the longest time he’s stood by me.
“For an engineer to stick by someone, as frustrating and painful as it can sometimes be — he’s stood by me every single day without fail.”
But with Hamilton off to Ferrari and Bono extending with Mercedes, it is no longer the English engineer who is the voice in Hamilton’s ear. Instead, he will be listening to Riccardo Adami in his first season with Ferrari.
The Italian, who was Carlos Sainz’s race engineer, has been entrusted to guide Hamilton as he adjusts to life as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver.
But one thing he won’t be doing is saying ‘Hammer Time’ or even the Italian equivalent.
Hamilton was asked about this during pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit where the Briton spent one-and-a-half days out on track working with Adami having already had the opportunity to get to know him during his TPC runs.
“I haven’t spoken to my engineer about that,” Hamilton admitted. “I don’t know how it would sound with an Italian accent, so I’ll have to find an Italian word, probably.
“We’ll probably find something new.”
But finding an Italian word to replace his iconic ‘Hammer Time’ isn’t the only thing Hamilton will have to learn in Italian.
Having already delivered a short speech to his new team members in Maranello last month, Hamilton is learning many of the technical words that will make it easier and quicker to communicate with his side of the garage.
“I’m in the learning phase of understanding the rear suspension, the front suspension, all the different settings they have for those and the terminology they use for them,” he said as per Reuters.
“My engineer and I are also learning how we like to work in terms of communication. After every session, every time I go out basically we’re making adjustments to the information I give him and vice versa.
“Roll is still roll, anti-roll bar is still anti-roll bar, but it’s some other parts of the geometry which there are different words for.
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“I’ve got it all on my computer and I’m studying it each day and night to make sure I understand when they’re talking about the different components.
“It’s a part of the learning process and that’s what makes it exciting because it’s all new. I’m loving that newness.”
On the last day of preseason testing, Lewis Hamilton stated that Ferrari “definitely have some work to do to improve” while George Russell, a former Mercedes teammate, set the pace.
Five minutes before the end of the day’s running, Russell finished a lap ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.021 seconds.
In his Ferrari, Hamilton finished the day sixth fastest, 0.8 seconds behind Russell.
Alex Albon of Williams finished third fastest, ahead of Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
“You have to take everything with a grain of salt because it’s difficult to know what fuel loads everyone is running,” Hamilton stated.
Speaking prior to his afternoon drive, Hamilton expressed optimism about his first preseason test with his new squad.
“I feel like we’ve built a really good foundation but these guys out there look really competitive, it looks very close,” he remarked.
I had not felt so well in a long time as I do now.” However, Ferrari abruptly stopped his jogging before he could finish the predetermined race distance, so his day ended early.
Hamilton was using a tire compound one step softer than teammate Charles Leclerc, but he was still about 0.5 seconds faster. While Leclerc drove in the morning, he also drove in the afternoon.
Because so many variables might skew the results, preseason testing is infamously unreliable as a gauge of genuine competitiveness.
Performance is significantly impacted by fuel loads and engine modes, and teams do not disclose the specifications under which they were operating their vehicles.
Furthermore, Friday’s weather was extremely different from Thursday’s; it was sunny, much warmer, and windier, which made the track go more slowly than it had on Thursday.
The Red Bull appeared challenging to drive despite Verstappen’s speed, and the team experimented with various setups and combinations, such as switching between two different front wing specs.
Late in the day, the four-time world champion went for a spin at Turn One.
Lewis Hamilton had geen ideale afsluiting van de pre-season tests. Op de laatste dag in Bahrein moest hij zijn racesimulatie al na tien ronden staken vanwege een ’telemetrie-anomalie’.
Ferrari bevestigde het probleem, maar gaf geen verdere details over de oorzaak. Dit beperkte niet alleen de gegevensverzameling voor de Scuderia, maar verhinderde ook een directe vergelijking met andere teams onder gelijke omstandigheden.
Hamiltons tempo in de korte stint die hij reed was zorgwekkend. Hij was gemiddeld +1.157s per ronde langzamer dan Charles Leclerc, die op donderdag een volledige racesimulatie afrondde op dezelfde C3-band.
Hoewel variabelen zoals motorinstellingen en brandstoflading niet bekend zijn, wordt aangenomen dat beide Ferrari-coureurs een volle tank van circa 105 kilogram brandstof gebruikten. Dat maakt het verschil in rondetijden des te opmerkelijker.
Naast het gebrek aan snelheid was Hamiltons bandenslijtage een probleem. Hij verloor gemiddeld +0.197s per ronde door degradatie. Dit zou deels kunnen komen door een verkeerde set-up, mogelijk veroorzaakt door het telemetrieprobleem.
Het resultaat was een inconsistent racetempo, wat een slechte indicatie is richting de openingsronde in Australië.
Russell’s racesimulatie biedt een duidelijke vergelijking
Bij Mercedes verliep de testsessie een stuk consistenter. George Russell voltooide zijn geplande racesimulatie zonder onderbrekingen.
Zijn tempo was gemiddeld +0.697s per ronde langzamer dan dat van zijn teamgenoot Andrea Kimi Antonelli, die op dag twee van de tests een vergelijkbare run uitvoerde. Dit bevestigt dat de W15 in de juiste omstandigheden competitief kan zijn.
In directe vergelijking met Hamilton was Russell sneller. Gedurende de eerste tien ronden van hun respectievelijke runs lag het gemiddelde verschil op drie tienden per ronde in het voordeel van de Mercedes-coureur.
Dit is een significante kloof, zeker omdat Hamilton normaliter sterk presteert in racesimulaties.
Waar Hamilton last had van bandenslijtage en inconsistente rondetijden, had Russell een constanter tempo. Dit is deels te verklaren door de stabiliteit van de W15 in koelere omstandigheden en de betere afstemming op het circuit.
De Mercedes W15 presteert beter in langzame bochten
Een van de sterkste punten van de Mercedes-auto blijkt opnieuw het gedrag in langzame bochten. Dit werd duidelijk bij het insturen van bocht 10, waar de W15 meer stabiliteit had dan de Ferrari SF25.
Daarnaast wist Russell meer snelheid vast te houden in de snelle secties van bocht 5 en 6, waar Hamilton moest liften.
Op rechte stukken lijkt Ferrari nog steeds een voordeel te hebben. De GPS-gegevens suggereren dat de Italiaanse auto niet zijn volledige motorvermogen gebruikte in Bahrein.
Dit kan een bewuste keuze zijn geweest van het team om data te verbergen of de powerunit te sparen. Hierdoor was Russell in het laatste sectorsegment sneller dan Hamilton, ondanks dat de Ferrari normaal gesproken op rechte stukken sterker is.
De eerste indicaties uit Bahrein wijzen erop dat Mercedes Ferrari in de openingsfase van 2025 kan verslaan. Het grootste verschil zit in de consistentie van de auto’s over een race-afstand.
Russell kon zijn rondetijden beter controleren dan Hamilton, wat wijst op een efficiëntere omgang met de banden en een betere balans.
Bovendien heeft de W15 opnieuw bewezen goed te presteren in koelere omstandigheden en op circuits met weinig grip. Dit was vorig seizoen al een sterkte van Mercedes en lijkt in 2025 nog steeds een voordeel te zijn.
De werkelijke verhoudingen zullen pas in de eerste races echt duidelijk worden. Factoren zoals baankarakteristieken, temperatuurverschillen en strategische keuzes spelen daarbij een grote rol.
Maar op basis van de beschikbare data uit Bahrein lijkt Mercedes in de eerste races van het seizoen 2025 een stap voor te liggen op Ferrari.
