Bahrain GP: Lewis Hamilton says he’s figuring out ‘alien’ Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has said he believes he’s “figured out” his “alien” Ferrari after recovering from another disappointing qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix to finish fifth in the race on Sunday.

Hamilton has endured a difficult start to life at Ferrari — despite a sprint race win in China — but gained four places in a Bahrain race that included a fine overtake on former rival Max Verstappen.

Afterwards, the 40-year-old opened up on the differences in his Ferrari compared to his Mercedes, which he won six of his seven Formula 1 world titles in.

“It really does feel so alien,” Hamilton said. “You know, sometimes I think we all get stuck in our ways, very stuck, and I need to keep driving the way I’ve been driving and just make the car come to me.

“So I’m adjusting myself to the car and also just the too little tools they use, it drives so much differently.”

Hamilton, who finished a place behind Charles Leclerc, admitted he still had work to do to match his Ferrari teammate but added to Sky Sports: “I think I’ve figured out how the car likes to drive so hopefully if I can apply that next week I can qualify better and have a much better weekend.

“I’ve got to make it easier for myself, I’m doing it all the hard way at the moment so I will try next week to start in a better place and not deviate from that too much.”

He expanded on his difficulties in the car to the written media.

“I mean, just one example is this week, I’ve never used engine braking before,” he said. “The past 12 years, never used engine braking — but here we use a lot.

“The brakes are just so much different to what I had in the past. In the last stint I also had to use the rears to turn the car, and other times you have to put more weight on the front, so it’s probably a bigger balance window than I’m used to as well.

“The middle stint felt really aligned with the car, the balance was in a spot, and my driving style seemed to be working in that moment.

“I’ve learned a lot from today, and this weekend actually a lot, probably more than all the other weekends.”

Hamilton is seventh in the drivers’ standings ahead of next weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from Jeddah.

Source: espn.com