Lewis Hamilton says he “can dream of having a strong weekend” at Silverstone after a standout performance on Friday. With Ferrari showing real promise in front of the British GP crowd.
The seven-time World Champion enjoyed his best Friday since joining the Scuderia, topping the opening practice session before finishing third in Free Practice 2, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
What does Hamilton think ahead of Qualifying?
Hamilton, a nine-time winner at Silverstone, looked right at home in the upgraded SF-25. Which appears to have given both Ferrari drivers a boost in confidence and outright pace.
“It was a really good day,” he said. “Great to see the crowd. Amazing to be out on track in a Ferrari here at Silverstone.
“It’s pretty incredible and also with McLaren and Red Bull having upgrades, so for us to be in the mix still given they have had a step today, it’s really positive.
“I definitely feel like we can dream of having a strong weekend for sure. Executing and putting it all together and extracting it is another thing but I’ll prepare myself the best I can to make sure we get the best result.”
Progress needs to be made
Hamilton was among the first drivers to hit the track in FP2 and briefly led the way after posting a 1:26.902 on the medium compound. He later improved to a 1:26.592 before the soft tyre runs reshuffled the order.
Lando Norris eventually set the pace for McLaren with a 1:25.816. A lap that remained untouched for the rest of the session. Ferrari responded with a solid run on the softs, Leclerc going second fastest and Hamilton just behind in third. Both within three-tenths of the McLaren.
“I’m progressing a lot now with the car and much more comfortable knowing where it needs to be,” Hamilton said, reflecting on his development with the SF-25.
“I think by FP2 we still weren’t where we needed to be, so definitely struggled a little bit more, but we know the changes that we need to make for the next session.”
The signs are positive for Ferrari, with both cars consistently running near the front throughout Friday. It’s a much-needed step forward for Hamilton. Who scored his joint-best result for Ferrari last weekend in Austria, finishing fourth.
Leclerc’s opinion
Leclerc, meanwhile, looked competitive across both sessions. He finished fourth in FP1 and improved to P2 in the afternoon, just 0.222 seconds off Norris’ benchmark.
While Ferrari are still chasing McLaren over one lap, Leclerc believes their long-run pace could be a real asset on Sunday.
“The day was good,” he said. “We’ve been pretty strong so far so it’s positive. I think we still need to find some pace in Qualifying.
“McLaren is once again probably the car to beat at the moment but in race pace I was happy. I’m finding my way, I’m changing quite a lot the car in weekends recently to try and find some pace in Qualifying.
“For now, I don’t think I find a way for that, but in the race I’m really happy with where we are. I think we are very strong in the race but we’ve got to do a step forward in Qualifying.”
As Saturday’s British GP Qualifying session looms, the question is no longer whether Ferrari can challenge, but whether they can execute.
