Lewis Hamilton: “Maybe half a second behind Ferrari”

Since the start of winter testing F1, Ferrari displays a pace that many consider to be the most impressive, with all the reservations that must be taken regarding these runs (amount of fuel, etc.).

However, since yesterday, the SF90s of Charles LeclercAnd then Sebastian Vettel this Friday morning on the track, significantly increased the tempo on red C5 tires (the softest supplied by Pirelli), setting times of 1'16"231 and 1'16"221.

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) has certainly come 340 thousandths closer to Vettel's reference, but the gap already seems to be made according to Lewis Hamilton, asked about this question before getting into the W10 this Friday afternoon.

"I'm not really sure, comments the world champion. It's maybe half a second. Something like this potentially. We will analyze a lot of things from these tests and there are some modes that we will try to involve before the first race.

There's not much time left, but we're going to try to gain another tenth this week, just on understanding the car. The car is worn out now [with these tests] so we will have new parts.

We don't really know where we are because everyone has power modes and that sort of thing, fuel amounts. »

The Briton reminds that only Melbourne will give a first glimpse of the real hierarchy of the 2019 peloton. “It will then take four races to really know where we will be. » concludes Hamilton.