Ferrari had a disappointing outing at the season opener in Australia last weekend. With much anticipation riding on Lewis Hamilton’s debut for the team, he could only muster a P10 finish at the chequered flag.
His teammate Charles Leclerc finished two places up the road after a strategic blunder cost them.
With the Ferrari strategists having failed to predict the intensity of the rain, they pitted their drivers too late and this resulted in them losing key positions.
In the end, team boss Fred Vasseur explains what they need to do to rectify their mistakes with the Chinese Grand Prix right around the corner.
“It certainly wasn’t a clean race, but the strategy was difficult. We probably need to find a better way to communicate between the car and the pit lane. We’ll learn from this, but it’s not a problem,” he said per Speedweek.
Ferrari chief responds to Lewis Hamilton doubts: “He will be able to perform”
— Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur remains entirely confident in Lewis Hamilton’s ability to adapt to the team despite his initial struggles in Australia. The seven-time world champion finished 12th… pic.twitter.com/pbMpTYWBez
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) March 14, 2025
Hamilton himself struggled to communicate effectively with his new race engineer Ricardo Adami on his Ferrari debut. This led to a tense few exchanges between the duo with them still taking time to understand each other.
Going into the race weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit, Vasseur believes the team needs to understand the #44 driver’s needs better.
“We need to improve communication and understand what Lewis expects from this communication. Only in such situations can we learn and be much better next week,” he added.
How can Ferrari improve communication with Hamilton?
On more than one occasion during the Grand Prix, Hamilton seemed irked by Adami. In the end, the seven-time world champion requested radio silence and wanted to be left alone during the race.
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok believes that it’s just a matter of time before they get along. “He and his engineer Riccardo Adami need to have a bit more time to understand just how much communication Lewis wants and what type of information. They just need to build that bond,” he explained.
Adami isn’t the only element within Ferrari that Hamilton needs to acclimatize with. In fact, the #44 driver has been pretty vocal about his struggles with adapting to the SF-25. Since his debut in 2007, the Briton has only driven Mercedes-powered cars and 2025 marks his first time with a Ferrari power unit.
This meant that he is yet to understand the various tools on offer for him to drive the car. “The settings it [the engine] requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel,” he explained per Sky Sports F1.
