Lewis Hamilton capped off a rollercoaster weekend at the F1 Bahrain GP with his best Sunday result since joining Ferrari, finishing fifth after a performance full of resilience, learning, and on-track action. After a disappointing P9 in Qualifying left him frustrated and searching for answers, Hamilton responded with a strong showing on Sunday that has injected a dose of optimism into his Ferrari journey.
A breakthrough stint on mediums in the F1 Bahrain GP
Hamilton’s first stint on medium tyres allowed him to gain early ground, but it was the second phase of the race where he started to feel more comfortable with the SF-25, making overtakes in the process on the likes of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen.
“The middle stint, I felt really aligned with the car. The balance finally was in a spot, and my driving style seemed to be working in that moment,” Hamilton shared post-race.
From there, the seven-time World Champion found rhythm, pace, and overtaking potential. Though he was never truly in the mix for a podium, the drive was a strong statement of progress after several tricky weekends.
Adapting to the Ferrari philosophy
Despite his seven titles, Hamilton admitted he’s still adjusting to the unique driving demands of the Ferrari package after 12 seasons at Mercedes.
“It just feels so alien… I’m adjusting myself now to the car and also the way with the tools. It drives so much different,” he said.
He highlighted changes like increased reliance on engine braking and different brake behavior, areas where he’s actively trying to rewire habits formed over a decade with Mercedes.
“The last 12 years I’ve never used engine braking before. This year we use a lot of engine braking to turn the car. We have much different brakes. The brakes are so much different to what I had in the past.
“In the last day I had to use the rears to turn the car and other times you have to put all the weight on the front.”
A steady shift toward Leclerc’s set-up
Hamilton also noted a shift in approach toward the set-ups of teammate Charles Leclerc at the F1 Bahrain GP, who started the race from P2 and ultimately finished one spot ahead.
“I’ve been all over the place… a long way from Charles the past two weekends and then slowly migrating towards him.”
By better aligning his driving and setup philosophy with what’s working on the other side of the garage, Hamilton believes he’s laying the groundwork for stronger weekends to come.
Pit Stops, strategy, and team spirit
Hamilton also praised the Ferrari squad for their work behind the scenes, from pit stops to strategy and overall team energy.
“The pit stops were fantastic today. They’ve trained so hard… Strategy, we’re slowly getting on top of things.”
While there may still be some debate over tyre choices during the race, Hamilton was encouraged by how things unfolded — especially that strong middle stint.
Keeping the bigger picture in mind
Still chasing consistency in qualifying and a better understanding of the car, Hamilton remains determined.
“It’s a much different car, but I’m still worse in qualifying this year than I was last year. I’ll just keep trying. I’ll get there eventually.”
