Carlos Sainz said he’s “not surprised” Lewis Hamilton is struggling at Ferrari as he is also working on adapting to a new environment in Formula 1.
Hamilton replaced Sainz at the Scuderia for 2025 and barring a Sprint victory in China, has endured difficulties getting to grips with the Ferrari SF-25.
The Briton warned that 2025 could be a “painful” campaign as he fights to get to grips with his new F1 machine.
Sainz, who had also expressed difficulties acclimatising at Williams, looked to have turned a corner last time out in Saudi Arabia as he led the charge for his team for the first time across qualifying and the race.
Having previously expressed it will take him “five to 10 races” to fully dial in at Williams, Sainz told select media including Motorsport Week ahead of the Miami Grand Prix that joining a team with a driver fully embedded into the culture is a daunting task.
“No, I’m not surprised at all,” was the Spaniard’s response when asked about Hamilton’s struggles.
“I think for me I expected it to myself and I expected it with him. Because in this sport there’s no secrets and when you are up against two teammates like we are, like Alex [Albon] and Charles [Leclerc], that they know the team inside out, they are already performing at the maximum that their car can perform.
“So you can only do just a little bit better or the same as them. You cannot suddenly arrive and be two or three tenths quicker because it’s not possible.
“They are already at the limit of the car. So when you jump to a new team and you’re expected by yourself and by everyone around you to be at that level, it’s going to take time.
“There’s no secrets. They know a lot more than you that it’s going to take a bit of time and the sooner you make that process and the sooner you are at that level, the better.
“But for some drivers it might take longer or shorter.
“Lewis had an amazing weekend in China. He seems to have a bit more trouble now but it’s going to take time for both.”
Sainz enjoying the process of adaptation
After the Bahrain GP, Hamilton said his Ferrari SF-25 felt “alien” to him.
From a career spent with Mercedes power units, switching to Ferrari has thrown up stark differences for Hamilton to get to grips with.
One of the biggest differences Hamilton noted was the braking phase, and the use of engine braking between the Mercedes and Ferrari.
When that was put to Sainz, who is driving a Mercedes power unit for the first time in his career, he said, “For me, this is just one of the 15 things that you have to learn.
“Some teams like to use engine braking to turn the car, others prefer using more the differential, others prefer to use the brake migration, others more the setup of the car naturally, front-end with aero, others with mechanical, others with pitch, others with ride,” he continued.
“It’s just, you cannot imagine the amount of variability that you can make the car get to a similar lap time in just completely different ways.
“For sure, that might be one of the things, at least one of the 15-20 things that I’m trying to still figure out.
“Of course, I’m trying high engine braking in Williams to see if it works, I’m trying low, I’m trying differential maps, I’m trying mechanical, but I’m trying everything every week just to see what the car likes and what it doesn’t.”
Sainz is well-versed in switching teams, with Williams his fifth team in 11 campaigns.
The Spaniard revealed that getting to grips with all the changes is a challenge he relishes.
“There’s things that suit your style, others that they don’t,” he said.
“I think it’s that fight and that process that I enjoy.
“You’re going to get wrong many times, but as long as you enjoy it and you just embrace it, you know you’re going to get it wrong a few times, but you’re also going to, when you click and you get, ah, this works, it’s actually a eureka moment that feels good.”
READ MORE – Jean Todt unsure Ferrari will level up with Lewis Hamilton over Carlos Sainz
wewes9