Lewis Hamilton makes his feelings known after the first day of running in the F1 Australian GP

Lewis Hamilton made his free practice debut for Scuderia Ferrari on the first day of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. After mixed results in two sessions, Hamilton said the SF-25 feels a lot different compared to Mercedes in Albert Park and he is slowly adjusting his driving style to extract maximum performance from the car.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix kicked off on March 14, Friday, with FP1 and FP2 sessions. All 20 drivers took their 2025 season challengers around the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Hamilton made his practice debut for his new team, Scuderia Ferrari, with his dad, Anthony Hamilton, in attendance to witness the historic moment. However, the seven-time world champion flagged some issues during the FP1 session. He was struggling to turn the car around some corners and finished P12.

However, the FP2 session was significantly better. He had the pace and finished P5 a lap time of 1:16.859.

After the practice session concluded, Hamilton spoke to the media and said that the car feels different compared to his setup with Mercedes over the years. Regardless, he is adjusting his driving style to adapt faster.

"Super exciting build-up to this week, and it felt amazing to get out there and be in a Ferrari here. Honestly, the car felt so much different from what I’ve ever experienced coming to this track. So it took a little bit of bedding in through FP1. FP2 was definitely a little better, but we’re slowly building and getting a little bit faster bit by bit."

The seven-time winner also noted that SF-25 is different compared to Mercedes' W-series cars.

"Just different, just a lot different. But the car doesn’t feel bad or anything. It just requires a different way of driving, so adjusting my driving style bit by bit, but enjoying driving."

While Lewis Hamilton had his moments of ups and downs, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc had much better pace, topping the charts in FP2 with the fastest lap time of 1:16.439.

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Lewis Hamilton was initially baffled by Ferrari's race trace data

Lewis Hamilton at F1 Grand Prix Of Australia (Image Source: Getty)

After 11 years with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton made a switch to Scuderia Ferrari this year. With only two months in hand to prepare, the Brit initially struggled to read race data of his new team.

Talking to media, Hamilton revealed (via Racingnews365):

"I was sitting looking at the race trace from last year, and it is upside down compared to the previous one. I am looking at it and don't understand it at all. So looking at things from a different perspective makes it exciting and challenging. This is definitely the most exciting period of my life, and I'm really enjoying it."

Regardless of the initial challenges, Hamilton is not putting any pressure on himself.