Ferrari SF-25 lacks grip everywhere: technical breakdown of F1 Qatar Sprint Qualifying. SF-25 grip problems cost Ferrari in Qatar Sprint Qualifying – detailed breakdown.

Qatar GP sprint qualifying: Ferrari struggles with SF-25 grip issues

Ferrari endured a vertical collapse at the Qatar GP as the SF-25 struggled for grip. The team faced major issues during FP1, and the car failed to perform as expected. While we know Lusail is not an ideal track for the Red car, the SF-25 setup was meant to partially correct and mitigate the car’s weaknesses. Instead, it exposed all its flaws unreservedly. Charles Leclerc managed to qualify in 9th position, while Lewis Hamilton could only settle for 18th, being eliminated in Q1.

Sprint Qualifying SQ1: Hamilton eliminated in 18th

The Ferrari drivers went straight into action, fitting Medium tyres for the first time, which had not been tested in the only practice session. Charles appeared immediately more comfortable compared to the previous session, while Lewis struggled to find the right rhythm. It’s worth noting that Lewis Hamilton was running a higher downforce setup than Leclerc, who nonetheless managed the car without major issues.

During the second run, Lewis Hamilton’s problems persisted, with a noticeable snap in sector three. The Modenese car seemed to behave better in sector two, where the three slowest corners are located. In sector one, Lewis was still almost half a second off pace. Tyre behavior, still outside the optimal thermal range, contributed to the difficulties.

Turns 2, 4, and 6 remained critical for Ferrari, and in sector three, a consistent gap of around two tenths was evident. Leclerc improved his time and reduced the gap but could only manage 13th. For Lewis Hamilton, failing to reach Q3 for the second consecutive time meant a final 18th place, nearly nine tenths off the pace. The seven-time world champion’s session ended prematurely.

Sprint Qualifying SQ2: Leclerc optimizes the SF-25 on Mediums

The only Ferrari still on track tackled SQ2 on Pirelli yellow-banded Mediums. The warm-up was more aggressive this time, with the car pushed to the limit through the final corner and in flat-out mode. Sector one still showed issues, though times were closer to the competition. The car struggled to extract full performance from the tyres, while other teams gained ground.

Initially, Charles Leclerc set the seventh-best time. In the middle sector, the car showed potential, even outperforming a McLaren. However, lack of rotation penalized corner entry, and overall low grip prevented pushing throughout the lap. Despite this, on his second flying lap, Charles improved in sector one and climbed to sixth.

It was clear how much the tyres influenced the Ferrari’s performance, a problem already flagged before the session. The positive is that car number 16 reached Q3 thanks to Charles Leclerc’s expert management, partially masking the SF-25’s weaknesses. Now the decisive moment approaches, where the Ferrari driver must extract every ounce of performance from the car.

Sprint Qualifying SQ3: SF-25 struggles for grip

Leclerc was in the pit lane before the session even started, ready with a fresh set of Soft tyres. During SQ2, a noticeable transition had occurred: in sector three, the Ferrari driver recovered almost the entire gap, highlighting the instability linked to the tyres. This confirmed ongoing tyre management issues. The first attempt was imperfect, and when grip dropped, difficulties increased along with corrections on the steering wheel.

A double run was performed to cool the tyres before repeating the attempt on the same set. The lap time was initially enough for the second row, fourth place, about four tenths behind Oscar Piastri. It was notable how the deficit was evenly spread across the lap. Engineer Bryan Bozzi requested improvements in sector one, crucial for optimizing the lap with Soft tyres.

Unfortunately, the second attempt brought no progress because grip simply did not exist. Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration over the radio, unable to find traction. As a result, he could not do better than ninth place. Once again, the tyres proved to be an enigma for Ferrari, too difficult to manage. This issue, partially anticipated, continues to plague the team even at Lusail.

A track that should have been “manageable” has instead exposed the SF-25 as chronically grip-limited and temperature-sensitive. With the main Grand Prix qualifying still to come, Ferrari faces a long night ahead if they want to avoid another embarrassing result on Sunday.