Lewis Hamilton was put on the spot in a press conference on the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. As the Ferrari driver had been extensively testing the SF-25 for the past two days, many wanted to know where he stood in terms of adapting to the car.
Amid this, F1 TV’s Lawrence Barretto asked Hamilton how he only had one session remaining on Friday afternoon to get behind the wheel of the 2025 Ferrari car before the season kicks off in Australia two weeks later. To this, the seven-time world champion expressed his surprise at how the three days of testing have flown by quickly.
“It’s crazy. It’s so short for everyone”, he said. With the regulations remaining constant for the 2025 season, there are only three days available for pre-season testing this year — which will change in 2026 with a new set of regulations coming into effect.
As for Hamilton, though, it was vital to have as much track time as he could get at his new team, which is why his comments felt like he coveted more days of testing. But the Briton was quick to set the record straight in a later question that he doesn’t like testing as much as gearing up for competitive sessions like qualifying and the race.
“I’m still not a fan of testing. But I’ve really enjoyed the testing that I’ve had this year,” he stated. The #44 driver also made a reference to the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program he has been able to do with Ferrari since his first day at Maranello in January.
Lewis Hamilton on F1 2025:https://t.co/xUfs1nOCYO pic.twitter.com/49UQpGBCdz
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) February 28, 2025
Hamilton drove Ferrari’s 2023 car in an exhibition run behind closed doors in Fiorano, following which he also got to test the 2024 challenger in Barcelona, as part of Pirelli’s tire test.
“I’m super grateful for the TPC testing that I got to do. If I only had this day and a half, I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I am in now in terms of how comfortable I feel with the car,” he added.
Hamilton, though, is raring to go racing as soon as possible instead of just gathering data and doing race simulations on track. “At this point, I’m just excited to get racing.” Still, he understands that going through the processes during pre-season testing will be crucial for him to adapt to Ferrari’s car smoothly.
Hamilton on where he stands with the Ferrari car
Hamilton also answered the question about how well he has adjusted to the different machinery at Ferrari. He stated that driving the 2023 and 2024 cars has helped him understand where the Italian team has improved and where their pain points lie.
This has basically helped him build “a really good foundation” before his first full season begins with the Prancing Horse. Gunning for his eighth world championship, Hamilton must adapt to Ferrari’s car to bolster his winning prospects in 2025.
From the looks of it, the Scuderia could carry on their race-winning form this season as well. It is about how the British driver can capitalize on the SF-25’s potential and also fend off Ferrari’s competitors.
The likes of Red Bull and McLaren are also going to be top contenders for the 2025 title. Even Hamilton acknowledged that those two teams have looked “really quick” in Bahrain, pointing towards their respective drivers — Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri — who were sitting beside him in the presser.
Hamilton concluded by saying, “I’d like to jump in the deep end and figure it out”. He also stated that they wouldn’t know where they stand until the first race weekend of the season in Australia, which is scheduled from March 14 to 16.
