Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton Aiming for Top 10 Qualifying Result As He Continues to Struggle in the SF-25

Nelson Espinal|
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] March 23, 2025; Shanghai, CHINA; Lewis Hamilton during the F1 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Go Nakamura/Reuters via Imagn Images
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] March 23, 2025; Shanghai, CHINA; Lewis Hamilton during the F1 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Go Nakamura/Reuters via Imagn Images | Go Nakamura/Reuters via Imagn Images

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton felt down in the paddock after finishing P13 in Free Practice 2, once again appearing to lag behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton continues to struggle with establishing a comfortable setup early in the race weekend, often falling behind his teammate and typically having to catch up.

The main issue Lewis has cited is issue with bringing the tires up to a good temperature.

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“Not the greatest,” said Hamilton when asked to assess his day. “I think getting the tires working today was the issue from our side.

“It’s nothing to do with the team, it’s just we were struggling to get the tires working.”

Hamilton somehow always finds a way to be on pace when the race comes around, but qualifying remains the real issue in his performance as a Ferrari driver.

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“Normally on Saturday it goes backwards, but there’s not a lot of backwards for me to go from where I am. Hopefully, overnight we will make some improvements to the car," Hamiltontold the media after FP2.

“There were a few bits through the session that felt good and just once we get to the soft tyre, it’s not there.

“We’ll make some changes overnight and hope tomorrow we can come back stronger.”

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Hamilton's aim for Saturday appears to be minimizing the damage from the slow start on Friday and avoiding a poor position to start on Sunday.

"For me, I’m just seeing if I can get in the top 10 at the moment.”

Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing P9 qualifying result in Bahrain; however, he eventually managed to secure an impressive P5, which could have been a podium finish had it not been for the safety car.

Ferrari introduced a massive upgrade package in Bahrain featuring a revamped floor; however, according to Charles Leclerc, the race weekend did not showcase all that the package is capable of.

The Italian team will hope that the floor can secure their first podium. Even if the upgrade does not lead to a significant improvement, Ferrari will have a week-long break to reassess the car's flaws.

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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