Lewis Hamilton’s Unheard Radio Message Reveals His True Feelings After Ferrari Qualifying Debut
Lewis Hamilton’s first official qualifying session as a Ferrari driver didn’t go as he had hoped, and now, thanks to an unheard radio message, fans have gained fresh insight into his immediate reaction. While the live feed of the Australian Grand Prix did not broadcast his words, the message has since surfaced, shedding light on the seven-time world champion’s emotions after his first competitive outing in red.
A New Era Begins for Hamilton at Ferrari
The 2025 Formula One season roared to life on Saturday morning in Melbourne, Australia, as all 20 drivers hit the track for the season’s first qualifying session. However, the spotlight was firmly on Hamilton, who made a dramatic switch from Mercedes to Ferrari after more than a decade with the Silver Arrows.
The anticipation surrounding his debut was immense. Fans and pundits alike were eager to see whether the 40-year-old Brit could immediately make an impact at his new team. Some even hoped for a fairytale start, with Hamilton storming to pole position and announcing his Ferrari arrival in style. However, reality painted a different picture.
A Frustrating Qualifying Session
Hamilton found himself struggling to extract the maximum performance from his SF-25, ultimately qualifying in eighth place—far from the expectations of both himself and the Tifosi. Ferrari’s pace seemed underwhelming compared to rivals, with teammate Charles Leclerc faring only slightly better, securing seventh on the grid with a lap six-tenths of a second quicker.
After the session, Hamilton’s raw emotions came through in a radio message to his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, who previously worked with Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari. The message, which was not aired on the world feed, revealed Hamilton’s immediate confusion about his lack of pace.
“I don’t know what happened there, mate,” Hamilton said, his frustration evident in his voice.
Adami, seeking to reassure his driver, responded with encouragement despite the challenging session.
“Tough one,” Adami replied. “Overall, good job out there.”
The message suggests that while Hamilton was disappointed, the team was not entirely discouraged, recognizing that both Ferrari drivers had underwhelming performances.
Ferrari’s Troubles and Unexpected Qualifying Standouts
While Ferrari underdelivered in Melbourne, their struggles were compounded by the fact that several drivers in theoretically slower cars managed to outqualify them. The likes of Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon put in impressive laps to start ahead of the Ferraris, highlighting potential concerns for the Scuderia regarding their early-season competitiveness.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris stole the show by securing pole position, leading a front-row lockout for the Woking-based team as his teammate Oscar Piastri secured second. Defending world champion Max Verstappen, who dominated the previous season, had to settle for third on the grid.
A Long Season Ahead
Although Hamilton’s Ferrari debut in qualifying wasn’t what he had envisioned, there remains a long season ahead. Adjusting to a new car and a different engineering team takes time, and as the season progresses, both Hamilton and Ferrari will be eager to unlock more performance.
For now, though, the Briton’s first qualifying session in red serves as a reminder that Formula One is unpredictable, and even the most decorated drivers face challenges when adapting to new machinery. Whether Hamilton can turn things around in Sunday’s race and fight for a strong result remains to be seen.
What Lewis Hamilton said in Ferrari radio message after disappointing F1 Australian GP qualifying
