Lewis Hamilton had a slow start to his debut race weekend with Ferrari, delivering underwhelming results in practice sessions of the 2025 Australia Grand Prix. Moreover, F1 pundit Martin Brundle noted that Hamilton had his helmet on while exiting the team garage, which is a worrying sign according to him.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix began on March 14, Friday, as drivers participated in two practice sessions. Hamilton, meanwhile, made his practice debut for Ferrari and stepped out with a renewed sense of purpose.
He engraved his steering wheel with an inspiring message that said 'The New Era Begins.' However, his FP1 session experience wasn't as smooth as expected. He had the pace with hard tyres, but the switch to a soft compound didn't yield the desired results. He was heard on the radio complaining about not being able to turn his car. By the end of the FP1 session, Hamilton dropped down to P12, more than eight tenths slower than leader Lando Norris.
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Brundle, who was reporting on track, said that Lewis Hamilton had his helmet on while exiting the garage, which is not a good sign, as the driver must have been frustrated with the results.
Talking to Sky Sports, Brundle said (via Planet F1):
“What alarmed me a little bit was that Lewis came out the back of the garage wearing his crash helmet. Which I never think is a good sign, having done that myself as well. I think he’ll be a little bit frustrated with that first session. He looked pretty good early on, but it depends if he had some issues; we’ll find out later."
Hamilton's life at Ferrari began at a slow pace as the results of his FP1 session fell way below the fans' expectations. Moreover, his body language, as reported by Brundle, only adds to the worrying sight.
Lewis Hamilton is not confident of fighting for pole in Australia
Lewis Hamilton had an underwhelming start to his Ferrari career as he finished P12 in the FP1 session. Though he had good recovery in the FP2 session, finishing P5, the Brit is keeping his expectations from the weekend in check.
Talking to BBC Sport, Hamilton stated that fighting for pole position during Saturday's qualifying session seems difficult as he is still learning about the car, SF-25.
"For me I think it's a little bit early (to go for pole) as I continue to learn the car, but never say never. I will give it everything and (I'm) just not putting too much pressure on. Try and enjoy it. I have some pace to find. I know where to find it. It's just about going out and doing it," Hamilton said.
After the FP sessions, Lewis Hamilton admitted that his car, SF-25, feels different compared to what he is used to driving with Mercedes. Hence, he is taking his time to adjust to the machinery and adapt his driving style as quickly as possible.
