Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton hopes that a "new floor" update brought to the Bahrain Grand Prix will help the Scuderia "figure out how to catch" McLaren.
The seven-time world champion has been unable to fight at the front of the grid so far during the 2025 Formula 1 season, saying he is still getting to grips with his SF-25 while also hoping for upgrades and changes after admitting that 'something is underperforming'.
McLaren are the team out at the front after three Grands Prix in 2025, sitting on 111 points, 36 points clear of Mercedes in second place, while Ferrari sit all the way back in 35 points in what has been a slow and unexpected start for both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc.
Speaking in the paddock at the Bahrain International Circuit to several media sources, including GPblog, Hamilton explained what updates had been made to his SF-25: "We’ve got new floors this weekend, so that should help."
But will that update help the Scuderia chase down a rapid McLaren? "We’re trying to figure out how to catch them. They’ve obviously got a great car — they won the Constructors’ last year and have started this season incredibly strong, just like the other top two teams.
"I think we’ve learned a lot over the past few races. Hopefully, this weekend will be a step forward for us. It won’t close the gap completely, but hopefully it takes us in that direction. If we can extract more from the car, we should see better results," continued the 40-year-old.
The setup of his Ferrari has also been a problem for Hamilton so far in 2025, admitting that he has been learning from Leclerc in what needs to be done to improve in that regard.
"[Charles'] setup was actually quite similar to previous races. He was happy with the balance — it was very similar in China and Melbourne. Last weekend was slightly different, but nothing major. I’m learning all the time from watching Charles work with the team. He prefers a different seat position in the car, which is normal — everyone has their preferences," Hamiton concluded.