Lewis Hamilton makes surprising “potential” claim after tricky Friday in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton nonetheless thinks there’s “potential” on this 12 months’s Ferrari regardless of a difficult Friday apply for the crew on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton was compelled to overlook FP1 as Ferrari fulfilled their rookie driver look quota.

When Hamilton returned behind the wheel of the SF-25, he set the 14th-fastest time in FP2, 0.8s off the tempo. 

He misplaced nearly all of his time to pace-setter Lando Norris within the ultimate sector of the lap.

Hamilton remains to be and not using a podium this 12 months for Ferrari and has failed to attain factors in two of the final three races.

Regardless of a demoralising run of type, Hamilton nonetheless has “hope” he can finish the season on a excessive if Ferrari could make enhancements in a number of key areas in a single day.

“I nonetheless have hope that there’s potential on this automotive. My query to the fellows is that there are particular points that we now have,” Hamilton defined after FP2 in Abu Dhabi.

“I’m like ‘these are my issues, assist me repair them’. What can we do to enhance our journey? And the bouncing that we now have, then the understeer. If we will repair these going into P3 then I feel we might be in a barely higher place.

“The primary and second sector I used to be proper there pace-wise wasn’t so dangerous. It’s simply after I received to 3rd sector, I used to be shedding like seven-tenths.

“If I can repair that tomorrow then I feel we will do higher.”

Hamilton “grateful” after Friday apply

Total, Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari hasn’t lived as much as expectations.

Whereas Ferrari have failed to present him or Charles Leclerc a race-winning automotive, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to life at Maranello.

Leclerc has scored 100 per cent of Ferrari’s podium finishes this 12 months – seven in complete. 

Hamilton’s solely spotlight was the China dash race, which he received from pole.

Hamilton was requested how he was feeling after his ultimate Friday within the SF-25. Grinning, he merely replied: “Grateful”.

Hamilton conceded that lacking FP1 put him on the again foot, mixed with a troublesome in-car steadiness.

“No, I really feel OK. Clearly, Arthur did a very good job this morning,” he added.

“It’s all the time cool to look at children come by and do what they do, and see them shine. In the end, it places whoever misses the session a little bit bit on the again foot.

“I did my finest to rise up to hurry as fast as doable and confronted with fairly a troublesome steadiness within the session. That’s one thing we now have to enhance.”