I use it as fuel: Lewis Hamilton not bothered by criticism after Ferrari switch

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton addresses the media in Bahrain (David Davies/PA)

Lewis Hamilton said he is fuelled by criticism after completing the final outing in his Ferrari ahead of his full debut for the Italian giants at next month’s Formula One curtain raiser in Australia.

Hamilton set the sixth quickest time as testing drew to a close in Bahrain, and completed 47 laps to take his tally for the week to 162 – the equivalent of nearly three race distances.

Hamilton, who turned 40 in January, made the switch to Ferrari following 12 seasons with Mercedes, but his form was indifferent in his final years at the Silver Arrows.

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth on the final day of testing in Bahrain (David Davies/PA)

In an interview with Time Magazine, released on Thursday, the publication made reference to former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan’s claim that it was “absolutely suicidal” for Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz with Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion said in the interview: “I’ve always welcomed the negativity. I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”

And addressing his comments on Friday in Bahrain, Hamilton continued: “I actually haven’t had a second to read the story but I’ve heard it’s come out really well.

“Naturally in our sport, criticism is something that everyone receives. I’ve probably received a lot more of it, perhaps, throughout my career.

Lewis Hamilton is gearing up for his 19th season in F1 and his first with Ferrari (David Davies/PA)

“I’m just in the mindset that I keep my head down and keep doing what I’m doing. I know that I’m growing each day, I know that I’m bound to make mistakes. I’m human.

“But one thing that I’m proud of is that I have the drive, I have the focus, I’m able to admit when I’m wrong. And I know that tomorrow, I’ll work to be better.

“It really doesn’t matter to me about some of the comments that have come out over my career. It’s not just been this past 12 months or so. I just use that as fuel.”

Hamilton’s former Mercedes team-mate George Russell set the pace on the final day in Bahrain, finishing 0.021 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with Williams’ Alex Albon just a tenth back.

And with that, pre-season testing comes to an end 🏁

A solid final session for George, who completed 91 laps and topped the timesheets 🙌 pic.twitter.com/KDKqNxfRv5

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 28, 2025

But with the teams trialling different tyres, fuel loads and engine modes, the true pace of the field will only be discovered when the grid arrives in Albert Park for the first race on March 16.

Hamilton, bidding to win a record eighth crown, said: “I’ve learned that you really can’t judge too much from the first outlook.

“I definitely think in past years, particularly in the previous generation of car, it was much easier to know where you stood quite early on.

“But I would say this is the most positive feeling that I’ve had in a long time. That’s all I can really say for now.”