Considering how much seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has struggled to control the SF-25, it was shocking to see him put his Ferrari at the top of the timesheets during Free Practice 2 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton made his highly publicized move to Ferrari over the offseason, marking a massive shift in the Formula 1 landscape.
His time in Maranello, however, has not been a smooth ride; instead, he has endured a tough time adjusting to the Italian team.
The Ferrari car is far from the fastest on the grid. However, on the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc has delivered podiums against all odds, while Hamilton has been finishing and qualifying lower than his teammate.
The British icon was extremely discouraged right before the summer break, hinting at walking away from the sport altogether.
More news: F1’s Fastest Lap Ever? Max Verstappen Breaks Long-Standing Record
Since taking a three-week break and returning to Zanvoort, he has been much more positive both in his statements and body language.
Hamilton finished P1 in FP2 at Baku, less than a tenth up on Leclerc and a good deal quicker than the Mercedes cars.
“So I’m really happy to see the progress. It just goes to show the direction we’ve been going as a team,” Hamilton said.
“I’m really, really grateful for everyone’s patience and everyone pushing so hard, because we’re really starting to see the progress come through.”
“It’s just a practice day. I would say let’s not go too far. I would say I am really grateful for everyone continuing to push.
“The support I’ve been getting back from everyone at the factory, everyone here, their patience and their support every weekend just lifting me up, the guys in the garage, all of our marketing team, they’re really making a big difference.
“And then the tifosi — we’ve been beaming from the energy from the tifosi in the last race. I’m hoping to take that energy that they gave us all the way through the rest of the season.”
More news: From Louis Vuitton to Tag Heuer: Formula 1 is Becoming the Sport of Luxury Brands
Both McLarens made contact with the walls during the session, meaning their final pace was not necessarily representative of their actual speed.
A race win may not be on the cards if McLaren has a cleaner weekend, but Hamilton could be on for a podium.
Hamilton would end his podium drought, giving him a boost for the remainder of the season, and potentially setting him up for a Ferrari turnaround.
More news: Formula 1 Set to Announce New U.S. Broadcast Partner Soon
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2 Results
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Read the full article here
