Lewis Hamilton’s rumoured 0.8s deficit to Charles Leclerc shot down by expert
Reports of Lewis Hamilton being 0.8s off Charles Leclerc's pace have been downplayed by a respected F1 commentator.
Talk of Lewis Hamilton being 0.8s off Charles Leclerc’s pace during the shakedown of Ferrari’s SF-25 has been shot down by motorsport commentator Alex Brundle.
According to Spanish publication Marca, Hamilton was eight-tenths off Leclerc’s best time during Wednesday’s test at Fiorano.
The report acknowledges that the times are “unofficial” and that the tests were conducted using a Pirelli tyre that is not normally used.
Given that Leclerc has been driving at Fiorano since 2018, and his general tendency to find the limit, such a margin wouldn’t be entirely surprising.
However, such lap times should be taken with a pinch of salt, considering it was just an early introduction to the new car rather than an actual qualifying session.
Brundle, the son of legendary broadcaster Martin, took to his X account to comment on rumours about Hamilton’s substantial deficit to his new teammate.
Brundle wrote: “I know it’s not the fastest news week until testing starts but this is like trying to evaluate football players based around how quickly they can put their boots on.”
Charles Leclerc “able to push” Ferrari
A report from Autoracer claimed that Leclerc “was able to push” immediately during the Fiorano shakedown.
As opposed to Hamilton, who “worked fundamentally to gain more confidence and refine his requests”.
Alarm bells won’t be ringing for the seven-time world champion just yet, with initial feedback from both drivers positive so far.
Hamilton will get another chance to drive the SF-25 later this week when pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit kicks off on Wednesday.
Hamilton and Leclerc will get 1.5 days each in the car before the season kicks off in Australia on March 16.
The same report states that Hamilton and Leclerc appear aligned on what they want from the car in terms of setup changes.
After the various TPC tests, Hamilton asked for minor tweaks - which will be fully implemented for Bahrain.
However, it was noted that there were “no strong differences” with Leclerc’s setup demands.
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