Valtteri Bottas Highlights the Key Problem Holding Lewis Hamilton Again at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton’s begin to life at Ferrari has been something however easy, and based on Valtteri Bottas, one vital, “complicated” space will be the root explanation for his struggles. Bottas, who partnered Hamilton at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, is aware of the seven-time world champion higher than most, having witnessed firsthand the height of his success — when Hamilton secured 4 of his six titles in Mercedes silver.
Now, in his new chapter with Ferrari, Hamilton seems a distant contender for the 2025 System 1 World Championship. After switching from Mercedes to the Scuderia forward of this season, the Briton has amassed solely 30 factors throughout the opening 5 rounds, failing to attain a race end larger than fifth place.
Persistent difficulties adapting to the nuances of Ferrari’s SF-25 have left Hamilton sitting seventh within the standings, trailing championship chief Oscar Piastri by 68 factors. Ferrari’s inside assessments reportedly replicate disappointment as effectively, with teammate Charles Leclerc outperforming Hamilton and at present rating fifth with 47 factors.
Valtteri Bottas Pinpoints Ferrari’s Engine Administration as Hamilton’s ‘Most Complicated’ Hurdle
Ferrari’s engineers consider that Hamilton should refine his driving method to completely harness the SF-25, notably in dealing with the automotive’s notoriously unstable rear finish — a problem that has hampered him throughout high-speed sections and heavy braking zones.
But, in Bottas’s view, Lewis Hamilton’s biggest problem lies elsewhere. The Finnish driver means that Hamilton’s “most complicated” impediment is adapting to managing the intricacies of Ferrari’s energy unit. Having pushed Mercedes-powered automobiles solely all through his F1 profession till this season, Hamilton is navigating a steep studying curve with Ferrari’s engine — though Bottas famous that the elemental variations between the 2 energy models are comparatively minor.
Chatting with the Italian web site Automoto.it, Valtteri Bottas defined that whereas the transition may not be overwhelmingly troublesome, with solely slight variations in drivability between engines, the true complexity stems from managing the settings and changes, notably attributable to Ferrari’s totally different terminology and methods. Bottas emphasised that after a driver learns the fundamentals of those changes, working the ability unit turns into considerably simpler and extra intuitive.
A Contemporary Begin: Valtteri Bottas Sees Optimistic Indicators for Hamilton at Ferrari Regardless of Early Struggles
The Finnish driver himself is acquainted with this transition. After leaving Mercedes, he spent the previous three seasons at Sauber, the place he gained expertise with Ferrari’s energy models, including to a résumé that additionally contains driving Renault engines throughout his early Williams days in 2012 and 2013.
Now, Hamilton faces an identical adaptation course of, after having relied solely on Mercedes’ V8 and V6 turbo-hybrid engines all through his illustrious profession from 2007 till 2024. Past the ability unit, the Briton’s’s problem is compounded by his ongoing battle to grasp the SF-25’s distinctive traits, which has seen him regularly lag behind Charles Leclerc — together with a notable instance in on the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia the place he trailed his teammate in each session other than Q1 and wanted two runs simply to advance.
However, Valtteri Bottas stays optimistic about Lewis Hamilton’s prospects. Regardless of acknowledging that his former teammate continues to be deep in an adaptation section, Bottas believes Hamilton has already demonstrated flashes of his enduring tempo. He pointed to the Chinese language Grand Prix weekend as a primary instance, the place Hamilton not solely secured pole place for the Dash however went on to dominate the race, ending virtually seven seconds forward of Oscar Piastri.
The previous Mercedes and Sauber driver conveyed that he sees the seven-time System 1 world champion as “doing effectively” general and prompt that the transfer to Ferrari has injected new vitality into the 39-year-old’s profession. In line with Valtteri Bottas, the challenges that Hamilton is at present dealing with may finally work in his favor, revitalizing his motivation and competitiveness for the seasons forward.
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