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.

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.

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.”

Is Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Ferrari good enough to fight for the title?

Ferrari will head into 2025 as one of the title favourites. But as Bahrain testing proved, McLaren emerged with the fastest car.

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.

Alex Brundle noticed the Ferrari did not look ‘friendly’ to drive at certain points in Bahrain. Hamilton will have to adapt quickly if he is to go up against Leclerc this year.

Guenther Steiner thinks Charles Leclerc could be the lead driver if he copies some of Hamilton’s habits. It is therefore interesting that the latter is using the former’s throttle and brake overlap approach through the corners.

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.

Image credit: Scuderia Ferrari

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.”

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.

Isack Hadjar enjoyed a wholesome moment with Lewis Hamilton during the official series photograph shoot in Bahrain, hopping down from his spot to fist-bump and greet the seven-time world champion.

Hadjar is entering his rookie F1 season with Racing Bulls, and while the French-Algerian racer is looking to establish a long and successful career with Red Bull, it is one of the Milton Keynes squad’s longest-serving rivals who serves as his motorsport hero.

When Hadjar lines up on the grid at the season opener in Melbourne, he will race alongside Hamilton for the first time. However, the pair have shared the racetrack together in the past when the Red Bull junior driver made his FP1 debut for AlphaTauri.

Upon completing his FP1 stint in Mexico City in 2023, Hadjar said on the radio: “Best day of my life, mate. That was incredible. Thank you. Is he pushing? I want to wave at Lewis! Haha.”Real Madrid linked with Jarrad Branthwaite move

The 20-year-old’s admiration for Hamilton spans back to the earliest days of his career. “I grew up watching him,” Hadjar explained to the Formula Two website in 2023. “Since I was three years old, I’ve always been a fan of him and rooting for him until he won seven titles.

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“I was really happy to actually be supporting the guy who was winning everything and I think he’s the most complete driver out there. Since I started single-seater racing, I got interested in Formula One even more and it was clear to me that Lewis was the guy to beat and the reference for me, so I’ve always looked up to him as the GOAT.

It didn’t work out for Nicholas Latifi in Formula One – so he’s now following in his billionaire father’s footsteps. Latifi’s three-year F1 career will unfortunately always be remembered for what happened at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Canadian inadvertently played a major part in that year’s dramatic title race between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. With just over five laps to go of the season’s concluder, he brought out the safety car after losing control of his Williams and crashing out at Turn 14. With it looking like the race would finish on a damp note, race director Michael Masi U-turned on his initial decision and allowed the five lapped cars separating leader Hamilton from second-placed Verstappen to pass before it was restarted. The Dutchman, on fresher tyres, was able to take the lead and claim his maiden championship in the most controversial of circumstances.

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Latifi came under fire for his involvement, forcing him to issue an apology. “It was never my intention and I can only apologise for influencing and creating an opportunity,” he said in the aftermath. “I made a mistake.

“I wasn’t aware of the situation of the race up until then. Obviously, it was never my intention to inadvertently influence that, but I made a mistake and ruined my own race.”

He later revealed that Hamilton reached out with a supportive message, as did fellow Mercedes staff members. But his F1 career would last only more year, with Williams replacing him with Logan Sargeant for 2023.

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Latifi has largely disappeared from the spotlight since then, aside from issuing an update on social media in July 2023. He explained how he was leaving motorsport behind to study for a Master of Business Administration at the London Business School.

He has quite the role model to look up to in his 62-year-old dad Michael, who as founder and owner of meat processing giant Sofina Foods has a net worth of $3.4billion (£2.7bn), according to Forbes. Born in Iran, his family immigrated to Canada when he was a teenager, and he got his first job at McDonald’s.

While Nicholas has said goodbye to F1, Michael owns a 10 per cent stake in McLaren through his investment company Nidala Limited, which he bought for approximately £200million in 2018. Along with his other children – son Max and daughters Afschineh and Afsaneh – Nicholas is in line to inherit his fortune, which includes a £160m yacht Michael purchased from Aston Martin co-owner Lawrence Stroll and one of Michael Schumacher’s former Ferrari racecars.

Highlights from day three of F1 Testing as George Russell pipped rival Max Verstappen to the fastest lap in the final minutesSpeaking on Friday afternoon before his final opportunity to drive the SF-25 ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix from March 14-16, Hamilton said he had been impressed by Lando Norris’ race simulation for McLaren on Thursday.

“McLaren did a great run yesterday, and I think also Max did a decent one today, given the temperatures,” he said. “It’s hard to know what fuel loads everyone is running, as we’re all doing our own different programmes, so you have to take everything with a pinch of salt.

“McLaren won the constructors last year. We expect them to be one of the quickest, if not the quickest, as with Red Bull, who dominated for many, many years.Share

Lewis Hamilton posted back-to-back fastest laps in the Ferrari during a strong start to the second day of pre-season testing“For us, we’re just trying to improve. I haven’t even done the long run yet, so I’m about to do it this afternoon, and I’ll get a bit of a better understanding of how this car behaves in a race stint.

“It’s going be my first race stint in with the team. I’ve only done short runs of like 10 laps, so it’ll be interesting. We’ve definitely got some work to do to improve.”

Hamilton finished fifth on Friday, but frustratingly was only able to complete 47 laps, compared to the 66 his team-mate Charles Leclerc managed in the morning session.Share

George Russell couldn’t resist waving at his former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton during day three of testingMaking further comments in a press release from Ferrari following the final session, Hamilton added: “Overall it’s been a great few days and we’ve made some strong progress as a team.

“We had to finish a little earlier than planned today, and the weather has been hard to predict all week, but that’s how testing works sometimes and we’ve managed to gather a lot of good information to build on before the season starts.

“The whole team has done an incredible job and I’m so excited to get to the first race in Melbourne. I can’t wait to go racing with them.”

Vasseur: Probably a different story in Melbourne

The consensus in the paddock following three days of running was that reigning constructors’ champions McLaren remain the team to beat.

Testing times are always viewed with caution due to teams and drivers running different programmes, but there was additional uncertainty on this occasion due to surprising weather at the Bahrain International Circuit.Share

Craig Slater and Ted Kravitz give their predictions as to which team will be quickest this season and who will be slowest after testing in BahrainThe temperatures were far cooler than they are likely to be in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix, and also when F1 returns to Bahrain for round four of the season in April.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said: “It has been hard to get a clear read on the overall situation here in Bahrain as the conditions were changing quite a lot day by day and from the morning to the afternoon, so it was more similar to Las Vegas than to the Bahrain we usually know.

“Over the past six months we have worked very hard on this car and we have made a good improvement but we will have to wait until we are all on track in Melbourne to understand where we are.

Lewis Hamilton says he’s really enjoying driving the Ferrari and jokingly thinks about what an Italian version of ‘Hammer Time’ could be“If we look at the hierarchy of previous years, what we saw here was not the same as in qualifying a week later, under the same conditions. We will go from 10-15 degrees on the track to the 45 we will have in Australia, so in Melbourne it will probably be a whole different story.

“We want to fight for both championships as we know we have two drivers who can do it and the mood in the team is very positive. We will continue to work hard to be ready in two weeks’ time for the start of the season.”

When is the first F1 race?

For the first time since 2019, the season-opener will be held in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16. The first race has switched from Bahrain to Australia due to Ramadan taking place throughout March.

There are 24 events on the 2025 F1 calendar, the same number as last year, with the season ending at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 5-7.

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime