Lewis Hamilton has insisted Ferrari hasn’t given up hope of catching McLaren in 2025, as he tipped the team to begin closing the gap in the coming Formula 1 races.
Hamilton came into a Ferrari team that was expected to be in title contention based on the surge in competitiveness last season that saw it take McLaren to the wire.
However, Ferrari has since encountered the team’s worst start to a campaign since going scoreless from the opening two rounds in 2009 as it lies fifth with 17 points.
The Italian marque’s SF-25 car has shown sporadic promise, including when Hamilton converted pole position to score his maiden win with Ferrari in the China Sprint.
However, Ferrari has been unable to sustain that potential on a consistent basis, with operational mishaps in both races contributing to the squad’s scant points total.
Ferrari’s anguish has been exacerbated as McLaren has capitalised on possessing the benchmark package once again to open the season with consecutive victories.
Hamilton, who attained his inaugural Drivers’ title with McLaren in 2008, has acknowledged that his erstwhile team has been strong across the board with the MCL39.
“Yes, McLaren has done a great job and they’re looking very strong,” Hamilton told media including Motorsport Week in the build-up to the Shanghai weekend.
“They look very quick on the long runs and testing. The pace in the race and on all conditions, they look fantastic.”
Ferrari can close the gap to McLaren
But while ex-Mercedes team-mate George Russell vowed that McLaren has the speed to go unbeaten in 2025, Hamilton is adamant Ferrari isn’t sharing that mindset.
“That’s not how we’re approaching each weekend,” the seven-time F1 champion retorted.
“We’re still taking the time to learn the car and to be able to extract more from it.
“We definitely have work to do. I don’t think we’re on the pace of the McLarens. I think we can close the gap.”
Ferrari denies theory over SF-25 issues
Ferrari’s inconsistent start has triggered suppositions that the radical changes the side chose to make to the SF-24’s successor haven’t delivered the anticipated step.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur quashed such theories, though, as he implied that Hamilton’s dominant drive in the shortened China race showed the SF-25’s inherent pace.
“I don’t need to be reassured by the pole position in Sprint Qualifying and the victory in the Sprint,” Vasseur told L’Equipe.
“I clearly see that the car is not wrong, and there are numbers to prove it.
“Seven seconds of advantage after a third of the race was perhaps the greatest demonstration of dominance among the races that have been held so far.”
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