1 week Ago By Harry Smith
Lewis Hamilton believes he's on the cusp of overcoming his qualifying struggles following a tough Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. The seven-time world champion, who recently switched from Mercedes to Ferrari , feels he's nearing a breakthrough in speed despite his ongoing difficulties. Hamilton's Saturday woes continued in Bahrain, mirroring his struggles since his move from Brackley to Maranello.
Apart from a glimmer of hope during the sprint race in Shanghai, the British driver has consistently lagged behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. This trend persisted at the Sakhir International Circuit, where Hamilton qualified a disappointing ninth. Despite overtaking Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, and Pierre Gasly to finish fifth, he was still significantly off Leclerc's blistering pace.
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"And as you saw, that middle stint, I was really in line with the car, and in that moment I had the pace, and I was moving forward. "I needed that at the beginning and the end, and I need it in qualifying, so I know what to search for now." Ferrari's SF-25 received a notable performance boost with a new floor at the Sakhir International Circuit, catching the eye of both Hamilton and Leclerc, who agreed it narrowed the gap to McLaren and Mercedes rivals.
Adjusting his technique behind the wheel, Hamilton has been tweaking his approach to maximize his car's potential. "The car is sometimes quite hard to drive, and I'm really working hard to adapt my driving style, so that's really what I've got to do," the seasoned British driver shared. "Also get the set-up where I need it, we got a much better set-up where I moved to where Charles was and he didn't move away from that all weekend.
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Hamilton and Leclerc are poised to further pressure Red Bull in the upcoming race in Saudi Arabia..
