Lewis Hamilton surprised by Ferrari’s struggles after tough Australian GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton made his Ferrari qualifying debut at the Australian Grand Prix, securing eighth place in a challenging session. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished seventh, marking a disappointing start for Ferrari. Despite high expectations, Hamilton admitted he was still adjusting to the SF-25 and found the transition from Mercedes more difficult than anticipated. The team struggled with pace, falling behind rivals McLaren, Red Bull, and even Williams.

Hamilton faced additional challenges, including using extra soft tyres to advance past Q1 and narrowly making it through Q2 after a late spin. He expressed frustration over his unfamiliarity with Ferrari’s setup tools, relying heavily on his engineers for adjustments. Ferrari’s unexpected drop in performance on Saturday added to the difficulties, as they were initially seen as McLaren’s main competitors but fell behind in qualifying. Leclerc also acknowledged the sudden shift in the car’s handling, leaving the team searching for answers.

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur admitted their performance in Q3 did not reflect the car’s potential, highlighting the need for improvement. He remained optimistic about their race pace, especially with rain in the forecast, suggesting Sunday’s race could present new opportunities. With Ferrari’s worst season-opening qualifying result since 2020, both Hamilton and Leclerc face a tough challenge but remain hopeful of securing strong points in the race.