Vasseur on Hamilton in Jeddah: He was a bit inconsistent

After the race, Hamilton admitted of his woes in the Ferrari, “I was just fighting the car every corner.” It marked another underwhelming weekend, one in which he finished where he started on the grid, 39 seconds adrift of race winner Oscar Piastri.

While Charles Leclerc, 30 seconds ahead of his new Ferrari teammate at the end, drove a composed race to convert P4 into Ferrari’s first Grand Prix podium of the season, Hamilton appeared to struggle for confidence, grip and consistency.

The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion's only top result so far remains a surprise Sprint win in China on merit. Nevertheless, not quite the return Ferrari were hoping for when they signed him from Mercedes. And like most newcomers to teams this season, irrespective of the driver's experience, all are having similar struggles.

After the race night in Jeddah, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur didn’t shy away from the fact Hamilton’s performance left much to be desired: “I had a very quick discussion with Lewis, but it’s a tough weekend for him. He was a bit inconsistent."

"Even in the race, Lewis had a good stint, a good first part of the second stint, but we have to be more consistent from Friday morning — and all the laps in qualifying — to start in a better position. The potential is there, for sure, and consistency is key for us," added Vasseur

Hamilton, for his part, was typically candid in assessing his own difficulties: “I just lacked grip, I lacked good balance. I was just fighting the car every corner and nothing I did would work. Every lap, every time you’re going around, you’re trying to adapt and improve on that specific spot.”

Asked whether the two-week gap before the Miami Grand Prix would offer a chance for reflection or reset, Hamilton was dismissive and clearly downbeat: “Honestly, I don’t think so – it’s not going to make any difference.”

The opening five race weekends of Hamilton’s Ferrari career have yielded little in terms of momentum. His best Grand Prix result remains fifth in Bahrain. He now sits P7 in the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship, trailing Leclerc (P5) by 16 points and rookie Kimi Antonelli (P6) — his successor at Mercedes — by seven.

With Miami on the horizon, questions around Hamilton’s adaptation and consistency at Ferrari are only likely to intensify. Expect more Vasseur-Hamilton sound bites as they wait for the lasagna to cook.