Photo credit: www.skysports.com
Lewis Hamilton Identifies Performance Issues with Ferrari Ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix
After an unsatisfactory race weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has disclosed that his Ferrari car is “underperforming” compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc. Hamilton’s weekend concluded with a qualifying position of eighth and a race finish in seventh, having made an early move past Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, but ultimately experiencing a solitary race.
In contrast, Leclerc managed to outqualify Hamilton by three tenths of a second and secured a fourth-place finish, finishing a significant 13 seconds ahead of Hamilton. “I did all I could today, but I was genuinely lacking performance relative to the cars ahead,” Hamilton remarked to Sky Sports F1.
He elaborated, mentioning that a recent analysis revealed a component on the car that has been underperforming over the last three races. “I’m hoping that once this issue is addressed, my results will improve,” Hamilton stated. “I seem to be losing just over a tenth of a second per lap due to this problem. I have hopes that it will be resolved by the next race.”
Current constraints have impacted Ferrari’s ability to lower the car’s setup, following disqualifications for both Hamilton and Leclerc in the Chinese Grand Prix—Hamilton due to excessive wear on the car’s plank, and Leclerc for being underweight.
The design of the contemporary F1 cars encourages teams to optimize downforce by running them as low as possible. However, this presents the risk of plank wear and potential disqualification. It remains uncertain if this problem is connected to the specific component Hamilton referenced.
Hamilton expressed, “The team is aware of the issue, but they’re still uncertain about its cause. When new components arrive, I hope they will be consistent on both cars.”
Despite the difficulties, Hamilton maintained a positive outlook on his race pace, crediting the team’s overall performance while stating, “Moving forward, I am optimistic about upcoming improvements. Although there has been a noticeable difference between both sides of the garage regarding a particular element of the car, I feel this race was the best I could achieve with what I had.”
Leclerc Seeks Competitive Edge
Ferrari currently trails McLaren by 76 points in the Constructors’ Championship after just three races. While there was considerable enthusiasm during the off-season to build on their 2024 momentum, Leclerc expressed disappointment over their competitive position. He mentioned that he has altered his driving style in a bid to gain an advantage over Hamilton.
“There was not much more to extract from the car,” he shared with Sky Sports F1. “As a team, we executed a strong strategy to enhance our outcome, yet it’s disappointing to finish fourth, knowing we were only a couple of tenths off the front-runners.”
Leclerc reflected on his race, noting that while the initial stint went relatively well, they faced a decline in performance as the race progressed. “The first stint wasn’t too bad, but we lost some pace afterward. Although we maximized our potential this weekend, the speed simply wasn’t there,” he remarked.
He further detailed his adjustments, stating, “I decided to shift my driving style in a specific direction that I believe will allow me to better utilize the car’s capabilities more regularly. While it remains to be evaluated, I’m eager to see how it translates in Bahrain.”
“If the changes prove effective, I feel confident about the rest of the season. Still, if a fourth-place finish is our limit, it’s not acceptable. I anticipate further performance enhancements will arrive soon,” Leclerc concluded.
Formula 1’s next challenge will unfold during the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of April 11-13, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
Source
www.skysports.com