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Lewis Hamilton was spotted on his scooter on the F1 paddock with his helmet still on after a disappointing end to the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While his teammate Charles Leclerc clinched the team's first podium of the year with a P3 finish, Hamilton finished down in P7.
He has been facing issues with the car since the season started and faced grip issues throughout the weekend in Jeddah, which he reported to his team multiple times. In the end, he had to settle for a P7 finish behind Kimi Antonelli, his replacement at Mercedes. This was the third consecutive weekend where Leclerc led the Ferrari charge on the grid.
After the race ended, Hamilton was spotted scooting through the paddock, leaving his helmet on, presumably disappointed with how the race turned out.
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A large part of Hamilton's struggles during the weekend in Jeddah lay beneath the car's inconsistent drivability. Speaking after the race, he mentioned the car was acting differently in all corners of the track, making it difficult for him to adapt.
"Every lap, every time you’re going around, you’re trying to adapt and improve on that specific spot," Lewis Hamilton said (via F1).
Moreover, the Briton is not expecting any overnight magic in the car. He feels that the rest of the season will be just as difficult for him.
Lewis Hamilton predicts a "painful" season ahead
Ferrari introduced a major floor upgrade earlier this month in Bahrain, which certainly brought a difference in the car, but hasn't impacted Lewis Hamilton's performance much. Although the team has ample time to research and bring more upgrades throughout this season, Hamilton feels that it would not make a major difference for him.
Discussing his race in Jeddah, Hamilton mentioned how he lacked grip and the car kept sliding in the corners.
"It was horrible, not enjoyable at all. I was just sliding around. I didn't have grip," Lewis Hamilton said (via Sky Sports). "First stint, massive understeer, car not turning and then massive deg. The second stint, slightly better balance but still just no pace. Pretty bad."
Foreseeing the rest of the season with upgrades, Hamilton sounded rather pessimistic as he predicted a "painful" first year with Ferrari.
"At the moment there's no fix. So, this is how it's going to be for the rest of the year. It's going to be painful," he added.
The team was expected to have a stronger car considering its performance last year when it managed to clinch multiple victories and was in close contention to win the championship. However, that isn't the case this season. Ferrari currently stands in fourth place in the constructors' championship below Red Bull. McLaren and Mercedes lead the title race.
