P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has claimed Lewis Hamilton was not at new Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc’s “level” in his debut F1 pre-season with the team.
Ferrari finished second and third in the Bahrain test prior to the 2025 campaign, with Hamilton slightly faster than Leclerc, despite an undisclosed issue limiting his track time. Hamilton expressed pleasure in driving the SF-25 car and the sensations it provided. Red Bull’s Marko cautioned that although Hamilton showed enthusiasm, he was still behind Leclerc in terms of overall lap times. Hamilton struggled to extract maximum performance from an inconsistent car during his last season with Mercedes in 2024. Marko emphasized the importance of Hamilton resolving his one-lap pace issues with the upcoming close competition in mind. The balance challenges faced by Ferrari could potentially place them at the back of the leading group, which might impact Hamilton’s motivation.
