Lewis Hamilton's one-word reaction when questioned if he had any ideas behind his struggle with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton remained unsure of his struggles at Ferrari as the 2025 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix concluded. He finished down in P7, meanwhile, his teammate, Charles Leclerc, took the team's first podium of the season.
The season's fifth round witnessed Hamilton still lacking competitive pace to get into the top competition, and he remained stuck close to the midfield. The qualifying session yielded below-par results for him as he continued with the uncompetitive pace on Sunday during the race. Comparing his fastest lap of the race to that of his teammate, Charles Leclerc, was almost half a second faster on the track and had put in much more consistent times throughout the race.
Discussing the issues after the race, Lewis Hamilton claimed that he did not understand the issue he was facing. Moreover, stated that the car had enough pace to clinch the podium, as Leclerc did.
"I don't know. Clearly the car is capable of being P3. Charles did a great job today so I can't blame it on the car."
He further dropped a single word when asked if he did not know what element was hampering his race on the track.
"No," he said.
Lewis Hamilton has been open about the issues he has faced with the car so far. The SF-25 is also a new turf for him, having driven Mercedes-powered challengers throughout his career, it was understood that he would require some time before acquainting himself with the car.
Lewis Hamilton foresees "painful" season ahead of him in 2025
The SF-25 is not well suited for Hamilton's driving style, which can be observed with his inconsistent laptimes and the grip issues he has faced throughout the first five races of the season. He has mentioned the same sliding issues on the team radio in multiple races.
Reviewing the race in Jeddah last night, the Briton once again called out the same issues with the car, stating that he lacked grip.
"It was horrible, not enjoyable at all. I was just sliding around. I didn't have grip," Lewis Hamilton said (via Sky Sports). "First stint, massive understeer, car not turning and then massive deg. The second stint, slightly better balance but still just no pace. Pretty bad."
Moreover, he suggests that there is no possible solution in the short run, so the rest of the season is set to be "painful."
"At the moment there's no fix. So, this is how it's going to be for the rest of the year. It's going to be painful," he added.
After the race last night, Ferrari still sits in fourth place in the Constructors' Championship with 78 points.