22/04/2025 14:45
Martin Brundle has labelled Lewis Hamilton's media commitments a
"very hard watch" at the moment, on account of his difficult start
to life at Ferrari. The 65-year-old observed how visibly
"disappointed" the seven-time F1 drivers' champion is with his
current level of performance. Clearly despondent, Hamilton claimed
he did not feel comfortable at any point during the Saudi Arabian
Grand Prix, where he qualified a relatively lowly seventh en route
to taking the chequered flag in the same position. Earlier in the
weekend, the 105-time grand prix winner claimed he needed a "brain
transplant" to understand the Ferrari, which Charles Leclerc
qualified fourth at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, before taking the
Maranello squad's first podium finish of the season. The Monegasque
driver has routinely out-performed the 40-year-old over one lap
this term, and despite Hamilton generally closing the gap in race
trim, it is not enough to get the better of his team-mate. After
the grand prix, the Briton claimed he would likely have to endure
the "painful" experience for the rest of the season, as he
continues to struggle getting to grips with the SF-25. Unsure on
his new Brembo brakes, having used Carbon Industrie ones at
Mercedes, he is also having to grow accustomed to using engine
braking, a technique not required during his 12 seasons with the
Brackley-based team. Assessing Hamilton's weekend in Saudi Arabia,
Brundle underscored his displeasure in seeing how downbeat and
disheartened he is. "Hamilton would finish half a minute behind his
team-mate Leclerc in seventh, albeit showing strong pace from time
to time," the former F1 driver wrote in his column for Sky Sports .
"The pace is in there somewhere but it's a very hard watch when
Lewis is doing post-race interviews at the moment. "He's not happy
with his performances and is clearly more than a little perplexed
and disappointed."
