Lewis Hamilton pinpoints McLaren's performance as the standout during the F1 pre-season test

Lewis Hamilton believes McLaren and Red Bull could lead the pack based on their long-run pace during pre-season testing. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, in a press conference, the Briton admitted that assessing the true pecking order remains difficult due to varying fuel loads and test programs across teams.

McLaren’s Lando Norris completed a strong race simulation on the second day of testing, impressing many in the paddock with the MCL39’s pace around the Sakhir circuit. While Ferrari had a productive test, their lap times have yet to reveal their full potential. Alongside McLaren and Red Bull, Mercedes also looked competitive—arguably their strongest pre-season showing since 2021. Both McLaren drivers completed their test programs smoothly within the three-day session.

When asked about the paddock’s reaction to McLaren’s pace, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that it was expected given their status as reigning champions. He also highlighted Red Bull’s race simulation runs with Max Verstappen earlier in the day on the final day of the testing. However, he cautioned that testing times can be misleading and unrepresentative due to teams running different programs and fuel loads. At the time of his press conference, Hamilton had yet to complete his race simulations in the Ferrari. When he eventually did in the afternoon session, his stint was cut short by a technical issue.

Asked about his thoughts on McLaren’s pace in their race simulation, Hamilton said:

“Obviously it's a lot hotter today but the McLaren did a great run yesterday. And I think also Max did a decent one today, even with the temperatures. So again it's hard to know what fuel loads everyone is running, as we're all doing different on our own programs. So you have to take everything with a pinch of salt. But yeah, I mean, they won the constructors last year. We expect them to be one of the quickest, if not the quickest, as with Red Bull, who have dominated for many, many years."

"So for us, we're just trying to improve on-- I haven't even done the long run yet, so I’m about to do it this afternoon. And I'll get a bit of a better understanding of how this car behaves in a race stint. It's going to be my first race stint with the team. So I've only done short runs of like 10 laps. So, it will be interesting. We've definitely got some work to do to improve,” he further noted.

Lewis Hamilton further outlined his thoughts regarding adapting to and competing in the Ferrari SF25.

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Lewis Hamilton outlines his initial thoughts on adapting to the Ferrari SF25

Lewis Hamilton driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during day three of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton believes that driving older Ferrari cars in a private testing session in January helped him understand the changes made to the new car and how it can be improved. However, he admitted that his time to adapt was limited. Unlike Sebastian Vettel, who joined Ferrari at the end of 2014 and could test a car before the winter break, Hamilton had to wait until January due to his contractual obligations with Mercedes, which lasted until the end of 2024.

The seven-time world champion acknowledges that his rivals are highly competitive and that Ferrari has significant work ahead. Regarding his adaptation, he noted that his test programs and integration into the team had been compressed into a short period. He is still familiarizing himself with Ferrari’s personnel and operations. As for the team’s performance, Hamilton believes they will get a clearer picture at the season opener in Australia.

Asked how well he was able to adapt to the SF25, with the limited test days available, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Yeah, no, I still feel there's plenty to come. And, yeah, there's still quite a bit to come, but as I said, fortunately I've got to drive the 23 car. So I've really been able to compare to the 24 and the 23 car and see where they've progressed. The problems they had on those two cars and how they've improved into this one. Obviously, I didn't get to do the test at the end of the year. So for me, it started relatively late compared to others that have come before me."

"Sebastian was here, I think, it started in November, so he had a good two months as well. For me, it's been this month period that I've had. So a lot has been crammed in at that time. But I mean, personally, I'd like to just jump in the deep end and figure it out, and that's what we're doing. But of course, we're going through the processes and I feel like in this period of time, we've built a really good foundation,” he added.

In terms of his expectations from the car, Lewis Hamilton said:

“But you know, these guys out there look really, really quick, really competitive. It looks very, very close. We won't know, obviously, till next week, truly, exactly where we stand. But we know that we've got work to do. And everyone is just heads down and I've been really inspired and really encouraged by my colleagues. Just how focused everybody is and how working everyone is and getting to know everyone in the garage the night shift crew you know, just how their processes and how they like to work it's yes yeah it just takes time.”

After 13 years at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has become the most anticipated collaboration of the 2025 season. While Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull have shown strong pace, Ferrari is expected to be in the mix at the front. Given the significance of Hamilton’s arrival, Ferrari CEO John Elkann made a rare appearance at preseason testing in Bahrain to observe the team’s progress.

Teammate Charles Leclerc believes their driving styles and car preferences are similar, which should make development easier for the team. With fresh energy and motivation, a competitive SF-25 could give Lewis Hamilton a strong chance to chase his long-awaited eighth title and restore Ferrari to its former glory.