Lewis Hamilton remained upbeat despite a challenging Formula 1 qualifying session at the Dutch Grand Prix. Even though he will start from fifth, he feels the car has made a significant step forward—though he admits his confidence is still being rebuilt brick by brick.
Ferrari have established themselves as one of the top teams under the new 2026 regulations. They were initially a step behind Mercedes, who came out of the gates with a huge advantage, but the Prancing Horse have worked hard to close the gap. Victories in Barcelona and Silverstone are proof of that.
However, the Zandvoort weekend hasn't been smooth sailing. The opening days were promising, with both drivers performing well in the Sprint Race—Charles Leclerc taking second. But in qualifying for the main race, their pace seemed to vanish, leaving both cars behind the Mercedes and, crucially, the McLarens.
Hamilton ended up ahead of his Monegasque teammate, lining up fifth. Leclerc noted that the SF-25 is a car that favours race pace over one-lap pace. Hamilton echoed that, but stressed that the car felt much better than before.
"I was much, much happier with the car, especially in qualifying," Hamilton told media, including Motorsport Week. "But it's not that helpful when you're building confidence brick by brick. You put it down, build a wall, then the confidence I had in FP1 is gone after sprint qualifying, and you start over again."
Still, the Sprint Race showed Ferrari's race pace is there. Leclerc made one of the few overtakes on a track where passing is tough. Hamilton is hopeful. "Our race pace was better today. Mine wasn't great, but Charles's was particularly good. The car feels much better, and it's going to be better tomorrow. I think we'll be able to hold on to the guys up ahead, at least," he said.
Starting from fifth, Hamilton and Ferrari have work to do. But with his optimism intact, he seems ready for the challenge at Zandvoort.
Baca Juga
Ferrari tampil cepat di sprint Zandvoort, tapi start P6 dan sulitnya menyalip bisa membuat Leclerc terjebak di GP Belanda. Analisis McLaren dan strategi ban.
Lewis Hamilton bingung dengan kesulitan Ferrari SF-26 memanaskan ban di GP Belanda. Kedua pembalap butuh dua putaran pemanasan, hasilnya start dari P5 dan P6.
Lewis Hamilton optimistis menjelang GP Belanda. Start P5, strategi ban jadi kunci. Ferrari siap bersaing dengan pengelolaan ban yang lebih baik.
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