Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari is the team to beat with their pace in Bahrain “completely different” to Australia.
The Italian team produced 1-2 results in both practices on Friday, with Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel each leading one session.
As a result, it leaves the world champion suggesting Mercedes is playing catch up for the remainder of the weekend.
“The Ferraris have been quick from the get-go and picked up more pace from there, so it’s completely different to what we’ve seen in Melbourne,” Hamilton said.
“At the moment it looks like the Ferraris are ahead, so we have to keep our heads down, keep working and try to come back stronger tomorrow.
“I think as we get to qualifying, everything will get a little bit closer, but it is going to be a tough battle.”
Also Read:
- Hamilton claims Honda engine almost level with Mercedes & Ferrari
- Mercedes boss anticipating Ferrari response in Bahrain
Both Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas explained the difficulty they face in finding a good setup because of the very different conditions between the two practices.
“FP1 is always a bit difficult in Bahrain because the track is still a bit dusty and the track temperatures are very high, much higher than they are in Qualifying and the race,” the Finn commented.
“The car balance didn’t feel great in the first session, but we made some changes and the car felt much better in FP2.
“We have some work to do to improve the setup and I personally also have room for improvement left. It looks like it will be a hard fight tomorrow, which should make qualifying very exciting.”
Also following Ferrari’s return to form was Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, with the Austrian believing their was a clear explanation.
“You can see the enormous straight-line power from the Ferrari. On the straights, that’s where they are making all the gains,” he said.
He did end with a warning, however, that his drivers can’t be counted out yet.
“I think it’s very dangerous to underestimate Lewis Hamilton,” Wolff stated. “Once the lap time counts he is always there.
“And Valtteri has picked up where he left off in Melbourne. Very strong and a very good long run for us also.”