Lewis Hamilton refuses to judge 2025 F1 grid by ‘first outlook’ in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton argued that pre-season test timings do not accurately reflect the true performance of rival teams.

Lewis Hamilton refuses to judge 2025 F1 grid by ‘first outlook’ in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton (via Getty)

The preseason test produced some notable results, with multiple teams showing competitive pace. Ferrari still appears to be trailing McLaren, with Mercedes close behind in third. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s struggles seem to have carried over from the 2024 season. Despite these indications, Lewis Hamilton, set to debut with the Scuderia this year, refused to pay much attention to the lap-times lodged in Bahrain.

Lewis Hamilton had previously applauded Max Verstappen’s ‘decent’ performance over the pre-season test, keeping in mind Red Bull’s struggles. Moreover, Hamilton outscored teammate Charles Leclerc and lodged the fastest lap out of the two. The 40-year-old clarified that in the last four years, he learned not to judge much from the first outlook in the pre-season test.

I think probably the last four years or so, I’ve learned that you really can’t judge too much from the first outlook.

Lewis Hamilton said, as reported by GPblog
YouTube video

Hamilton recalled that in the previous generation of cars before the ground-effect era, pre-season test results seemed notable. The 40-year-old pointed out that gaining an ‘early feeling’ about the position down the season was easier back then. However, in the recent era, the development war seemed more divided amongst the top teams which caused uncertainty in the test results.

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For me, I definitely think in past years before that, particularly in the previous generation of car, it was much easier, I think, to know where you stood quite early on with that early feeling.

Lewis Hamilton added

Lewis Hamilton labels Ferrari test the ‘most positive’ in a long time

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles with Mercedes were evident as he couldn’t manage to score impressive results. The 40-year-old has already put forth his delightment after his Ferrari debut. Hamilton didn’t hesitate to claim that following the testing, he had been feeling extremely positive after a very long time. As such, the Briton seems ready to contend for championships with the Italian constructor.

Lewis Hamilton (via Scuderia Ferrari)
Lewis Hamilton (via Scuderia Ferrari)

I would say this is the most positive feeling that I’ve had in a long time. That’s all I can really say for now.

Lewis Hamilton noted

The final year of the ground-effect era seems highly exciting as multiple teams and drivers look promising for a championship contention. One of Hamilton’s biggest challenges will be facing his teammate Charles Leclerc. Both drivers are highly skilled and will be looking to maximize points for Ferrari throughout the year.