Ferrari made the strategic decision to halt development on their 2025 Formula 1 challenger far earlier than several of their direct competitors, and the lack of upgrades has become increasingly visible in recent races. The final phase of the campaign has highlighted how limited the evolution of the SF-25 has been, especially when compared with rivals who continued to introduce updates deep into the season.
However, this strategy alone does not fully clarify why Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton endured one of their most difficult weekends together at the Qatar Grand Prix, particularly when Carlos Sainz managed to claim his second podium of the season in a Williams that has not been a development priority throughout the year. Lewis Hamilton suffered another frustrating Q1 exit and could only fight back to twelfth place on Sunday, while Charles Leclerc salvaged eighth position on a weekend that mathematically confirmed Ferrari’s fall to fourth place in the constructors’ championship with one round remaining.
After the race, Lewis Hamilton reportedly warned Ferrari that they risk repeating the same structural mistakes in the future if they fail to learn from the setbacks of the 2025 campaign. The seven-time world champion has become increasingly vocal about the areas he believes must be improved for Ferrari to return to the front of the grid.
Rumours have circulated in recent weeks suggesting that not everyone within the Ferrari organisation is fully aligned with Lewis Hamilton’s views, yet Charles Leclerc has now clarified why the team must listen carefully to Hamilton’s guidance if they wish to avoid losing another season of progress.
Charles Leclerc not satisfied with Ferrari’s 2025 performance after a difficult Qatar weekend
Shortly after the Qatar Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc provided his assessment in comments relayed to Motorsport, explaining that he felt genuine disappointment with the team’s overall trajectory this year. He stated that it was painful to see how the season had unfolded and expressed regret about the situation. According to Charles Leclerc, he did not want to generate unrealistic expectations, but he felt compelled to be honest about the team’s shortcomings. At the beginning of the season, he had believed that Ferrari had taken significant steps forward, but the results eventually revealed that the team’s progress had not been sufficient.
Charles Leclerc added that Ferrari must raise their performance level dramatically if they intend to achieve their long-term goals. He noted that the team had invested enormous energy and resources into improving their overall package and that much of the second half of the season had been sacrificed to focus on the 2026 project. While this strategic shift explained part of Ferrari’s late-season decline, he admitted that the scale of the performance drop in Qatar was unexpected and could not be justified solely by early work on the next car. He concluded by saying that he was not satisfied with the current situation and insisted that the team must identify the root causes of their struggles.
The tone of Charles Leclerc’s message made it clear that the issues Ferrari faced in Qatar were not short-term anomalies but symptoms of deeper structural problems. It also reinforced the idea that whatever development philosophy Ferrari had pursued prior to Lewis Hamilton’s arrival was no longer delivering competitive results.
With Lewis Hamilton already immersing himself in long-term development discussions, the team now faces a decisive moment: whether to embrace his experience and direction fully or risk repeating the same pattern of inconsistency in 2026.
Lewis Hamilton preparing extensive feedback for Ferrari ahead of 2026
After the Qatar Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton shared additional thoughts with Sky Sports F1, suggesting that the 2025 season had been one of the most challenging periods of his career, both inside and outside the cockpit. He explained that he had accumulated a substantial number of notes detailing the weaknesses of the current Ferrari car and the internal processes that require urgent attention. Lewis Hamilton reportedly said that the future would reveal whether Ferrari acted on his recommendations and whether the team preserved its strongest attributes while correcting the flaws that had hindered performance throughout the year.
Lewis Hamilton is understood to have emphasised that none of the necessary improvements were impossible to achieve and that addressing them would require commitment and a willingness to make fundamental changes. He expressed hope that Ferrari would be able to convert the lessons of 2025 into tangible progress.
In Qatar, Lewis Hamilton drew a comparison to Michael Schumacher not in terms of results, but because observers noted similarities to Schumacher’s late-career period at Mercedes — a phase defined by relentless development work that later paved the way for a dominant era. Having played a central role in one of the most successful periods in Formula 1 history with Mercedes, and after winning his first world title with McLaren in only his second season, Hamilton carries the depth of experience required to guide a top team back to the front.
Yet for Ferrari to fully benefit from the knowledge and leadership of Lewis Hamilton, the Scuderia must place complete trust in him as they prepare for the sweeping technical regulations of 2026. Failing to do so risks leaving Ferrari trapped in the same cycle of inconsistency that has defined much of the 2025 season.
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