The Brazilian Grand Prix weekend has not been particularly smooth for Ferrari so far. After the Sprint race, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc commented on the SF-25’s lack of top speed, explaining that the team was working to fix this weakness before qualifying for Sunday’s race. By the end of Q3, the Monegasque managed to secure an impressive third place, while his Maranello teammate was eliminated once again in Q2, finishing only thirteenth.
Q1: Ferrari shows progress on the straights
Cooler temperatures and the return of clouds over Interlagos changed the conditions compared to Friday’s sessions. The question was whether Ferrari had finally managed to give the SF-25 enough straight-line speed to compete with the front-runners. The engines roared to life, and the Italian cars headed out on track. Interestingly, the two drivers took different approaches: Hamilton started with a set of Soft tyres, while Leclerc went for Mediums.
The British driver locked up at Turn 1 on his first attempt and had to lift off. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc completed his lap, though with a few small mistakes in the middle sector. Shortly after, Hamilton set his first timed lap, which was competitive. The top speed looked visibly improved — a positive sign for the team after struggling the day before.
Hamilton returned to the pits to await new references, while Charles Leclerc cooled down his tyres for two laps before pushing again. The Ferrari driver improved his time by half a second before heading into the pitlane. Hamilton went back out, but once again made a mistake at Turn 1, compromising another lap. After a short pause, both drivers pushed again.
Switching to new Soft tyres, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton saw improvements, although the SF-25 still showed some balance issues. Over the radio, Hamilton reported that the tyre temperatures never reached their optimal window, reducing overall grip during his lap.
Q2: Hamilton out again, Ferrari still unstable
Tyre management continued to be a key topic for Ferrari. On car number 44, the main issue involved the rear axle, which lacked sufficient grip and caused traction problems. Leclerc, on the other hand, struggled with oversteer in Turn 8 — a corner that has been problematic for both Ferraris this weekend, with the rear tending to lose downforce right at the apex.
Both cars went out on fresh Softs. After Turn 4, Leclerc was forced to lift as the rear of the car suddenly snapped, but with quick reflexes, he managed to save it. It was a tense moment, but the Monegasque driver didn’t back down and pushed again on the next lap. Lewis Hamilton completed his run but continued to lack confidence in the car’s stability.
The SF-25 was now faster on the straights, nearly matching the Mercedes, but its overall stability seemed to worsen. After a brief stop, both Ferrari drivers fitted another set of new Soft tyres and went for their final attempts. The setup adjustments appeared to increase the car’s oversteer in the mid-corner phase, making the rear end feel lighter than expected.
The decision likely aimed to improve turn-in, but the result was mixed, especially in the second sector. Leclerc confirmed this as he slightly lost control again at Turn 8 during his best lap. For Hamilton, things went even worse — he finished three tenths behind his teammate, stuck in thirteenth place and out in Q2 once more. Charles Leclerc, however, managed to extract everything from the SF-25 to reach Q3.
Q3: Leclerc shines, Hamilton struggles
From the start of qualifying, Hamilton couldn’t find the right feeling with his car, particularly with the tyres. It’s unclear whether his radio request to modify the warm-up procedure was approved, but the SF-25 continued to feel unpredictable — faster on the straights, yes, but still imprecise and unstable through the corners.
With twelve minutes remaining in Q3, the final shootout began. Charles Leclerc, the only Ferrari left in the fight, left the pitlane on a fresh set of Softs. He activated push mode before the final corner and launched into his flying lap. The execution was nearly perfect, with only a minor hesitation at the last turn, where he missed the ideal apex. Apart from that, it was a masterful performance.
The Monegasque finally managed to link together all three sectors, taming a tricky SF-25 with remarkable precision. His lap time initially placed him second behind Oscar Piastri, as Lando Norris made a mistake on his first attempt. It was a superb lap that set a high bar for everyone else — but Leclerc went for one more try. His preparation lap was clean and measured, but when he pushed again, he was slightly more aggressive and less precise, unable to improve his time.
That first lap, however, was enough to secure him a place on the second row — third on the grid, behind Norris and the impressive Kimi Antonelli. It was a brilliant effort from Leclerc, who once again demonstrated his ability to extract performance from a difficult Ferrari SF-25. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, continues to chase confidence and balance. The question now is whether Leclerc can turn this qualifying success into a podium finish on Sunday.
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