Hamilton 'getting more comfortable' with Ferrari SF-25
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Lewis Hamilton is steadily carving out his place at Ferrari, growing more accustomed with each session to his team but especially to the Scuderia's SF-25.
On the opening day of running at the Japanese Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion showcased his progress, finishing fourth quickest despite a disjointed Friday that saw a smooth FP1 give way to an FP2 plagued by four red flags.
With only 26 minutes of meaningful track action in the second session – disrupted by incidents including a dramatic crash from Alpine's Jack Doohan – Hamilton still found enough laps to refine his understanding of the car and contribute to its development.
Still Settling In
Hamilton's transition to Ferrari has been a focal point of the 2025 season, and at Suzuka, he highlighted how his comfort within the team is deepening.
"I've not been focusing massively on what everyone else is doing. I've been trying to focus on learning as much as I can, continuing to grow with the team," he said.
"From weekend to weekend, I'm getting more comfortable in the surroundings, in the car, just remembering everything that's within the cockpit, also the settings, and I'm understanding more of the setup changes we can do."
©Ferrari
That growing familiarity translated into tangible input between sessions.
"For example, between those two sessions, I'm starting to get to a point where I can push the car in a direction, knowing which tools I have to use to put the car in a better place," Hamilton explained.
"So I'm getting more comfortable with it, and I expect that to continue over all of the races."
Suzuka's Allure and a 'Worrying' Moment
Despite the day's challenges, Hamilton's enthusiasm for Suzuka remained undimmed. Driving the circuit in a Ferrari for the first time, he relished its demands.
"This track is awesome," he said. "It never ceases to amaze you when you get on this circuit. It's quite gusty. You get a big headwind through the Esses, and that's when the track is the fastest. It felt great."
©Ferrari
The windy conditions tested the SF-25's balance, but Hamilton found the experience invigorating.
The mood briefly shifted when Alpine's Jack Doohan suffered a "horrendous" crash in FP2, halting the session for 23 minutes.
Hamilton was relieved that the young Aussie had emerged unscathed from the heavy wreck, an incident that underscored once again the fine margins at Suzuka.
Assessing Ferrari's Pace
Hamilton deemed the day productive, even as McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris set the pace, finishing four-tenths ahead at the top of the timesheet.
"We got through all of the programme," he said. "We've got some performance we need to pick up. We're not the quickest at the moment but it's a good baseline."
The day "went well," he added, though he acknowledged the work ahead to close the gap to the frontrunners.
His teammate Charles Leclerc echoed the sentiment of progress amid disruption, finishing P3 in FP1 and P7 in the stop-start FP2.
"It was a constructive day, we tried many different set-ups throughout the practice sessions and I feel that I learned a lot about our car and how we can extract the most from it in the upcoming races," commented the Monegasque.
©Ferrari
"We didn't put everything together, with multiple red flags and traffic interrupting FP2, but I think that our performance is better than it is on paper right now.
"It will be interesting to see how the change in conditions, in particular in terms of the wind direction, will affect tomorrow's sessions."
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