The moment to fight for pole position at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix has finally arrived, and Ferrari was certainly out of contention for the very front of the grid. The complexity of the three practice sessions held over Friday and Saturday morning for Ferrari’s drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, demonstrated that the Italian team was far too distant to realistically aim even for a third-row starting position. There was also a very real risk of being eliminated in Q2, given the difficulties encountered throughout the weekend. While Ferrari’s race pace could potentially remain competitive over a full Grand Prix distance, track position at Zandvoort has always been extremely important due to the limited overtaking opportunities and the twisty nature of the Dutch circuit.
Dutch GP Q1: SF-25s Make Top 10 with Difficulty
Ferrari approached the first qualifying session in a context that was far from straightforward. Three minutes after the opening of the session, both cars from Maranello left the pit lane fitted with Soft compound tires. The main technical question revolved around the management of tire warm-up, which is crucial for maximizing grip on the narrow and demanding Zandvoort track. Tire activation would play a decisive role in extracting the maximum performance from the SF-25, particularly in the high-speed and medium-speed corners where understeer could become critical.
The launch from the pit lane appeared faster compared to what had been observed during Free Practice 3, suggesting a slightly different strategic approach by Ferrari. The team seemed to prioritize having the tires fully up to operating temperature by the time the cars reached the first corner, even if that risked some degradation or performance drop in the third sector of the track. Lewis Hamilton had chosen a setup featuring additional rear downforce to prioritize stability, particularly through the high-speed sweeps that Zandvoort is known for. Charles Leclerc’s first timed lap, however, was far from convincing, as it was heavily penalized by evident and limiting understeer, which made the car feel resistant to rotation in every corner.
Lewis Hamilton appeared more comfortable in the SF-25, immediately gaining approximately four tenths of a second on his teammate. The Italian car’s handling did not show significant improvement compared to the morning session, confirming a consistent but challenging driving behavior. The Briton, while relatively satisfied with the feeling in the car, reported over the radio several areas where he could have potentially gained time if the car had been more responsive. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, maintained a focused and quiet approach, concentrating on refining his driving lines and limiting unnecessary errors.
Following a quick pit stop, both drivers returned to the track on already-used Soft tires, preparing for their next attempt. Charles Leclerc pushed hard, exploiting every inch of the asphalt and attempting to maintain optimal speed through every sector. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton approached the chicane slightly too aggressively, causing the rear of the car to step out and briefly touch the gravel at the track limits. The team suggested over the radio whether they wanted an adjustment to the front wing to improve balance, but both drivers declined, opting to stick with the current setup. The SF-25s remained unchanged, patiently waiting for the final qualifying attempt on a fresh set of Soft tires.
The decisive run began shortly thereafter, following the same precise preparation procedure. Both Ferrari drivers gave their maximum effort to secure a passage into the next stage of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton encountered traffic on his hot lap, which prevented him from improving further. The SF-25 continued to demonstrate nervous behavior, sluggish responses in corner entry, and a strong tendency toward oversteer on corner exit. The frequent steering corrections required by both drivers highlighted a challenging and not entirely fluid driving experience. Drivers eliminated in Q1 included Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Lance Stroll, with yet another minor incident at the barriers for one of the eliminated drivers.
Dutch GP Q2: Sudden Improvement for Ferrari
In the second part of qualifying, Ferrari returned to the track with used Soft tires, which were intended primarily to gather references and assess the grip levels on the circuit rather than to set fast lap times immediately. The first timed attempt was therefore more exploratory than competitive, as the team gathered data to better understand the behavior of the SF-25 before switching to a new set of Soft tires. Charles Leclerc confirmed that he did not wish to modify the front downforce, preferring to rely on the existing configuration, while Lewis Hamilton requested an additional two-click adjustment to the front wing in an effort to gain extra stability during corner entry and mid-corner transitions.
Although balance issues remained noticeable, lap times gradually began to improve. There remained uncertainty, however, over whether the performance would ultimately be sufficient to advance to the final qualifying segment. Over the team radio, Charles Leclerc inquired whether it would be necessary to fit yet another set of fresh tires or if they could safely rely on the lap times collected up to that point. Shortly afterward, he returned to the track on a new set of Soft tires, seeking to extract maximum performance in a controlled manner.
Lewis Hamilton followed a similar approach, launching with fresh Soft tires on his final Q2 attempt. The SF-25 continued to exhibit difficulties in corner entry, especially in Turn 9, where the car struggled to rotate effectively, and in Turn 10, which required meticulous attention to maintain the optimal racing line. Despite these challenges, the final Q2 laps concluded positively: both lap times were sufficient to secure passage into Q3, allowing Ferrari to advance with less difficulty than initially expected. Drivers eliminated in this session included Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon.
Dutch GP Q3: A Return to Harsh Reality
During the final phase of qualifying, Ferrari seemed to manage the Soft tires better than in recent Grand Prix events. The higher ambient and track temperatures compared to FP3 appeared to aid the Maranello-based team in keeping the tires within an optimal window, allowing for more controlled tire behavior and slightly improved car balance. After receiving precise instructions via team radio, both SF-25 cars returned to the Dutch track for the final Q3 session, determined to extract the maximum from their machinery.
Charles Leclerc’s lap proved unsatisfactory for the Monegasque driver: he ran wide at Turn 1, and a forced correction at Turn 13 due to an unstable rear cost him valuable tenths of a second. Lewis Hamilton fared slightly better, although he also had to contend with a car that remained difficult to balance and demanded constant attention. Despite their respective challenges, the two Ferrari drivers remained extremely close on the timing screens, separated by only ten thousandths of a second. No radio communication was made during the final laps, as both drivers focused entirely on the last assault for the session.
On the final set of fresh Soft tires, Ferrari returned to the track, paying particular attention to tire warm-up procedures in order to maximize grip. Charles Leclerc remained calm over the radio, but the difficulties of the SF-25 became evident once the lap was complete. He described his performance as “very bad,” highlighting a driving experience that was complicated, uneven, and far from fluid. The car proved challenging to manage in every phase of cornering, braking, and acceleration.
Despite the persistent difficulties, Charles Leclerc managed to finish ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Sixth and seventh positions were not ideal for Ferrari, but considering the numerous issues encountered in practice and the inherent challenges of Zandvoort, they represented a reasonably acceptable result under the circumstances. The main problem remained the pronounced front-end understeer, which severely limited both drivers’ ability to attack the top positions on the grid. Tomorrow, race day presents another opportunity to capitalize on potential improvements, although the outlook appears unlikely to change drastically given the ongoing handling limitations.
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