Few know Lewis Hamilton better than Angela Cullen (Image: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton’s closest confidant Angela Cullen has previously claimed the ace’s confidence regularly hinges on his performance in qualifying. Hamilton, 40, was when he made his at the end of last year.
After a bruising final year at , the now red-draped Hamilton will be centre stage when the 2025 F1 campaign begins with the Australian GP this weekend. Qualifying looks set to be pivotal ahead of the Grand Prix in Melbourne – particularly with Hamilton also competing alongside team-mate , who was the face of the Prancing Horse before the seven-time world champion’s arrival. Few know exactly what to expect when Hamilton finally gets behind the wheel. However, Cullen has previously revealed the sign which helps her ascertain Hamilton’s confidence and form.
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In April 2023, in a post on her , Cullen said: “It’s quali (qualifying). My favourite time of an entire race weekend. Looking for that perfect single lap, car set up meets precision driving. The perfect quali is where you build each lap, learn from the previous, implement and profit in the following.
“[I] just love the focus and attention. Watch for Lewis’ hands when he is sitting in the car in the garage, if they are dancing you know he is in the zone. Let’s go. You can have a perfect quali as a driver regardless of end position, that is the goal.”
Lewis Hamilton has been told he cannot finish behind Charles Leclerc (Image: Getty)
Qualifying has regularly been Hamilton’s downfall since the heartbreaking conclusion to his title battle with in 2021, which prevented him from winning his record breaking eigth world title. Hamilton has not put himself in pole position for a GP since 2021 and was out-performed in qualifying on a regular basis by partner last year.
With Leclerc racing in the same car as him, qualifying could yet become an even harder battle at . And ahead of the Australian GP, ex-F1 star Helmut Marko warned Hamilton he cannot afford to fall behind his team-mate in qualifying Down Under.
Marko said: “One is a champion, the other is chasing his first title, but is one of the best qualifiers. And because the field is relatively close together, three or four tenths of a second difference in qualifying can make up three to five grid positions.
“And you know how difficult overtaking is these days. So from this point of view, it is crucial for Hamilton to be able to evaluate the first qualifying sessions on equal footing with Leclerc. But that’s certainly not easy.”
The Austrian also told : “If Hamilton is motivated, he can continue where he left off in 2021. The comeback he delivered back then was impressive.
“The has to be competitive, though. And Hamilton has to get qualifying right, that was never his strength. If he loses two or three-tenths to Leclerc, he always has to work his way up a few starting positions. That puts a strain on the tyres.”