Lewis Hamilton is on the cusp of his debut with Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix, which kicks off the 2025 F1 season on March 16. With only 15 hours of testing left in Bahrain to get familiar with the SF-25, he’ll soon be jumping into free practice in Melbourne, where he’ll be mirrored by Charles Leclerc, who boasts six years of experience with the Scuderia and is coming off a strong finish to the 2024 season.
Hamilton has already had a taste of the new car in Fiorano, and while he’s spoken highly of the SF-25, he’s not ready to position himself as a potential winner in the season’s opening race. That’s a feat that Fernando Alonso achieved in his 2010 debut with Ferrari, or Sebastian Vettel in 2015. “I don’t know that, those guys did an incredible job,” Hamilton said at the car’s press conference. “I have great respect for those two drivers.”
Having been with other teams before, Hamilton acknowledges the significant step required to acclimate to a new car, and the enormous amount of work needed to get up to speed. The limited testing time – just 15 hours aboard the car for the two drivers – only adds to the challenge. “The results they obtained are even more exceptional than I had appreciated before,” he notes.
It’s worth noting that Hamilton has had more time in an F1 car than Alonso did in the 2010 preseason, with six days of testing under his belt, including four days in Barcelona and a ‘Filming Day’ in Fiorano. “Luckily, I’ve spent a lot of time in the car,” Lewis acknowledges, referring to the program Ferrari has prepared to help him adapt. “I’m still acclimatizing,” he adds, recalling that it took him six months to secure his first win with Mercedes in 2013.
“The truth is, I don’t know, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready for the first race,” Hamilton says, without ruling out any results. His trust in the team is palpable, but he knows that Melbourne will bring stiff competition, starting with his new teammate, Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc faster in Fiorano?
As is often the case, fans and journalists have been keeping manual times of Ferrari’s drivers during their laps, and it’s reported that Leclerc outpaced Hamilton by 0.8 seconds in their best laps. While these times are unofficial and taken on special Pirelli tires not used in regular racing, it’s not entirely surprising given Leclerc’s extensive experience on the track since the age of 18.
In Australia, the competition will be fierce, and Hamilton will need to outperform one of the brightest drivers of recent years on a return. With a six-month period to get fully up to speed with Ferrari being a reasonable estimate, Hamilton will be looking to shorten that timeline as soon as possible. The stage is set for an exciting season opener, with Hamilton and Leclerc poised to go head-to-head in Melbourne.