Theory for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles after ‘uncomfortable viewing’

Martin Brundle has labelled Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing struggles with Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car as “uncomfortable listening and viewing”.

The seven-time world champion’s difficult start to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix continued in final practice as he finished down in 12th place and 0.408s slower than teammate Charles Leclerc, who was fourth.

Hamilton complained of having “just no grip” and sounded lost and bewildered by his pace deficit during conversations with his race engineer Riccardo Adami over team radio.

Speaking after FP3, Sky Sports F1’s Brundle suggested Hamilton’s set-up choices may be to blame for his lack of confidence and performance in the SF-25.

“There’s been weekends, entire grand prix events, where he wouldn’t have lost seven tenths to anybody let alone in one sector. No wonder he’s shocked by it,” Brundle said.

“I think he’s going the wrong way in the set-up of the car for him and he’s clearly got to find his way with that car and his engineer.

“But Lewis is not seven tenths off in the first sector of this track. The car is just not with him, he’s not confident in it, it’s just not working.

“It’s almost uncomfortable listening and viewing.”

Fellow Sky Sports F1 pundit Jamie Chadwick added: “Clearly they are going in the wrong direction somewhere because Lewis Hamilton isn’t that far off the pace. It looks like Ferrari are struggling, generally speaking.

“It’s not like we are seeing Charles top of the times. But at the same time, to see that much of a deficit between two teammates is unusual.”

Lewis Hamilton sets modest qualifying target

After ending up only 13th in Friday’s representative second practice session in Jeddah, Hamilton conceded he would be “trying to get into the top 10” during qualifying.

Hamilton arrived in Saudi Arabia hopeful of making a further step forward with his Ferrari adaptation after claiming he had “figured out” how to drive the team’s 2025 challenger in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

But the 40-year-old Briton has been left trailing well behind Leclerc so far this weekend.

"Normally Saturday goes backwards but there's not a lot backwards for me to go, so hopefully overnight we make some improvements to the car,” a downbeat Hamilton concluded after FP2.

"There were a few bits through the session that felt good. Just once we got to the soft tyre, it's not there.

"We will make some changes overnight and hope we can come back strong.

"For me, I'm just trying to see if I can get into the top 10."