Ferrari had the opportunity to adjust the SF-26 set-up before Dutch Grand Prix qualifying at Zandvoort, a particularly important step for Lewis Hamilton after his difficulties earlier in the weekend. For Charles Leclerc, only minor fine-tuning appeared necessary. Yet despite encouraging balance and competitive flashes through the first two phases of qualifying, the final result was less impressive: Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, with Charles Leclerc sixth.
The outcome was particularly interesting because Ferrari’s difficulties did not appear to come from an obviously poor-handling car. Instead, the SF-26 looked remarkably composed from the driver’s perspective, leaving tyre activation, changing track temperatures and possibly hybrid energy deployment among the factors that could explain the loss of performance in Q3. Those variables were already central to the wider technical challenge facing Ferrari at Zandvoort.
Dutch GP Q1: Lewis Hamilton finally comfortable with the SF-26 despite gravel excursion
Qualifying began with both Ferraris leaving the pit lane on the red-walled Pirelli Soft tyres. Work immediately focused on bringing the compounds into the correct operating window. Another point of interest was whether any software changes to the hybrid management could give the Ferrari drivers stronger performance along the straights.
The sun was shining once again, although after what happened during the Sprint it was difficult to make confident predictions about the weather. Both Ferraris completed relatively quick out-laps before beginning their first flying attempts.
There was immediately an encouraging sign for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion went two tenths faster than his team-mate, suggesting that the changes made to the SF-26 had given him greater confidence. At least, that was the impression from his opening run. Ferrari then moved into a two-lap cool-down sequence.
Carlo Santi gave Lewis Hamilton several references while discussing his lap and also suggested changes to the steering-wheel settings affecting the differential and the car’s rotation. When the Ferraris attacked again, Charles Leclerc lowered his lap time, but Lewis Hamilton made a relatively simple mistake.
The British driver locked his tyres and ran deep into the gravel, taking the escape route before Ferrari called him back into the pits. The concern at that stage was whether the excursion might undo some of the confidence Lewis Hamilton had just developed in the car.
His stop in the garage was brief. Lewis Hamilton returned to the track on used Soft tyres and improved his time with a very aggressive lap, immediately responding to the earlier mistake. Ferrari therefore completed Q1 with both cars safely through and with the possibility still open that the SF-26 could challenge Mercedes and McLaren when qualifying reached its decisive stages.
Dutch GP Q2: Ferrari looks solid but the perfect lap is still required
Q2 offered a clearer indication of the Ferrari’s handling. Charles Leclerc continued to experience behaviour broadly similar to what he had found during the previous day’s qualifying session, while Lewis Hamilton had made a much more substantial step forward and appeared considerably more comfortable with the car.
The remaining question was whether that improvement would survive when the seven-time world champion needed to extract absolutely everything from the SF-26 in Q3.
Both Ferraris returned to the circuit on the red-marked Pirelli tyres, this time with two completely fresh sets available. Their tyre preparation remained aggressive. Meanwhile, clouds began to gather over the circuit, naturally lowering the temperature of the track and tyres.
Charles Leclerc even asked about the possibility of rain, although race engineer Bryan Bozzi reassured him that it was not expected during that part of the session.
After an additional tyre-preparation lap, Ferrari began its first serious Q2 attack. Charles Leclerc produced a very clean but still aggressive lap that put him third, just 0.076 seconds away from the benchmark. Lewis Hamilton followed immediately behind, only another 0.030 seconds slower than his team-mate.
Once again, the margins suggested that the battle was extremely tight. Both Ferrari performances were excellent, but the team nevertheless sent its drivers back onto the circuit.
This time they used worn tyres, with the apparent objective of building even more confidence with the car before the decisive Q3 runs. Ferrari again used its usual two-lap tyre activation procedure, while the pit wall warned both drivers that the wind had become stronger.
Lewis Hamilton abandoned his attempt, while Charles Leclerc completed the lap without improving. Even so, both cars progressed comfortably into the final phase, and the SF-26 still appeared capable of producing a strong result. Ferrari’s behaviour through these runs was particularly relevant following the team’s latest SF-26 upgrade package for Zandvoort, aimed at improving the car’s aerodynamic performance and operating window.
Dutch GP Q3: Ferrari receives an unwelcome reality check
Everything now depended on perfection. If Ferrari wanted to fight for the front of the grid, there was virtually no margin for error, particularly with six realistic candidates competing for pole position.
There had also been an interesting detail during Charles Leclerc’s final Q2 attempt. Listening to the Ferrari power unit, there appeared to be more energy available towards the end of the third sector. It raised the possibility that Ferrari had been experimenting with the way hybrid energy was deployed around the lap, although the exact significance remained unclear.
The Ferrari engines fired up again in the garages. Once the mechanics gave the signal, both cars returned to the track on fresh tyres and completed the usual double warm-up procedure.
From a handling perspective, both drivers then delivered very clean laps. The stopwatch, however, told a very different story. Charles Leclerc was around three tenths away, while Lewis Hamilton’s deficit was almost eight tenths. The car still looked balanced, but the outright performance was suddenly missing.
Charles Leclerc wasted no time and returned to the track with another fresh set of tyres. Lewis Hamilton followed approximately 20 seconds later.
Then another variable entered the equation. Despite the earlier radio message that rain was not expected, a few drops began to fall. They were even visible on the television cameras.
With the weather threatening to deteriorate, neither Ferrari driver completed the usual preparation lap before attacking again. Both improved their times. Lewis Hamilton ultimately moved ahead of Charles Leclerc, but the final positions remained only fifth for Hamilton and sixth for Leclerc.
Why did Ferrari lose performance in Q3?
The final outcome was disappointing compared with the promise Ferrari had shown earlier in qualifying, and there are several possible explanations.
Tyres are an obvious candidate if the SF-26’s cornering performance dropped during those decisive runs. The falling temperatures could have made it more difficult to bring the Soft compound into its ideal working window, especially after the drivers abandoned the longer preparation sequence for their final attempts.
Another possibility concerns the modified hybrid energy progression. If Ferrari had indeed changed the way the electrical energy was deployed during the lap, the revised approach may not have produced the performance gain expected. The subject remains particularly relevant given how much modern Formula 1 performance depends not only on the combustion engine but also on the efficient management and deployment of electrical energy.
The third potential factor is simply the change in temperature itself. Lower track and tyre temperatures can alter the available grip and make the operating window significantly harder to hit, even when the underlying balance of the car remains good. Ferrari’s broader technical development of the SF-26 can be followed in our dedicated Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
Any one of these factors could have contributed to Ferrari’s Q3 performance, or several may have combined to hurt the car at the decisive moment. Of the possibilities, however, tyre activation appears the most convincing explanation.
That distinction matters. Ferrari did not leave Dutch Grand Prix qualifying with an SF-26 that looked fundamentally difficult to drive. Lewis Hamilton’s improvement after the set-up changes was actually one of the session’s clearest positives, while Charles Leclerc maintained a strong level of confidence in the car. The frustration came from failing to convert that balance into the lap time required when the grid positions were decided.
With Lewis Hamilton starting ahead of Charles Leclerc, Ferrari now faces another important Zandvoort race in which execution will be crucial, particularly as the team continues to assess how best to maximise its two drivers during the second half of the season. The wider competitive situation has already fuelled discussion about Ferrari’s potential team-order decisions involving Hamilton and Leclerc.
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