Hamilton not as quick as Leclerc so far but great drivers adapt and move forward: Coulthard

Mumbai: Former F1 driver David Coulthard feels that while data suggests Lewis Hamilton has not been as quick as Charles Leclerc in his new Ferrari team, the real test will be whether the seven-time world champion can adapt and thrive within new set-ups.

Having joined Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season, Hamilton has been outperformed 10-4 in qualifying sessions by Leclerc. But Coulthard hopes F1's midseason break, which ends with the Dutch GP this weekend, would've given the British driver time to reflect.

"The key point here is, has the break given him time to step back (and) really try and understand what he has learned about Ferrari, what he has learned about this car?,” Coulthard said in an interaction organised by FanCode.

"Everyone has spoken about how it is a massive cultural change coming from always having Mercedes power to suddenly working with another manufacturer." Coulthard stressed that adaptability has always separated the sport's legends from the rest.

"(But) the thing that normally makes the greats great is their ability to just adapt and move forward. Your Senna's, your Schumacher's… these guys that are multiple championship winners, they don't really have bad seasons as such relative to their teammates." He added, "Lewis comes off the back of having a not so great season alongside George Russell and it feels in many ways that it has picked up at Ferrari alongside Charles in the same way." Coulthard, a 13-time Grand Prix winner, warned that the pressure will mount if Hamilton's struggles persist.

"The data doesn't have an opinion it gives you facts. And the fact is Lewis is not as quick in qualifying as Charles. That makes it difficult to get the result, if you are not the fastest driver in the team." "If he continues to play second best for the rest of the year, then the only hope is that the new regulations in 2026 change things for him. If not, then it’s over. Nothing lasts forever."

Turning to the title fight, Coulthard felt McLaren would favour Lando Norris over championship leader Oscar Piastri.

"Lando is in his seventh season, Oscar's in his third. In many ways, it feels that Lando would be the McLaren subconscious favourite because of having been there for longer."

"But you cannot deny Oscar's performance. My old teammate Mark Webber is his manager. I know that Mark's really brought his experience to bear to accelerate Oscar's knowledge of Formula One and his experience of what it's like to go wheel-to-wheel for a world championship."

He also backed Cadillac’s decision to sign Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez for their debut F1 season next year.

"Can you imagine building a team from scratch? I thought they might pick one experienced driver and one young talent, but Bottas brings deep Mercedes knowledge and will inevitably carry insights into their 2026 project.

"Checo, meanwhile, is a proven Grand Prix winner, has a strong fan base across North America, and remains a very capable racer. It makes sense."