Ferrari has struggled to recover from a disastrous weekend, and qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix only worsened the team’s Sprint results. Charles Leclerc slipped to tenth, while Lewis Hamilton confirmed his eighteenth-place start in an SF-25 that has caused significant headaches for both drivers throughout the evening. Finding performance without taking enormous risks seems impossible, and it is already a minor miracle that the Monegasque managed to scrape into Q3 at the last moment. Setup changes made after the poor Sprint earlier in the day did not improve the car’s balance, which remained an enigma throughout the weekend.
Leclerc: “We don’t have enough performance and we must push beyond the limit”
Leclerc’s words reveal the drivers’ helplessness in the face of a situation that appears inescapable: “It has been incredibly difficult, the entire weekend has been incredibly difficult. The car is really, really hard to drive. Yes, it’s simply frustrating. I mean, my second lap in Q3 was really good, but it’s only enough for P10 and that’s once again very frustrating.”
During his first Q3 attempt, Charles Leclerc even experienced a dangerous spin after losing control of the car: “I just took an insane amount of energy, as I do in every single Q3 corner, to try and get eighth or ninth place, but it was a bit too much. Then I recovered, and the second attempt went really well—it was a really good lap, but there was nothing more to be done.”
Regarding the reasons for Ferrari’s poor performance, Charles Leclerc attributes it largely to the characteristics of Lusail: “It must be linked to the circuit itself because we tried different setups, different approaches, and there’s no way out of this situation. The car isn’t fast enough. It’s not like we have a big balance problem. Even when the car understeers or oversteers every time you push it to the limit, we simply have to push far beyond that limit to extract a bit of performance. And that makes the car very difficult to drive. So yes, we just don’t have enough performance. I hope in Abu Dhabi we can get back to our level. Obviously, this is very disappointing.”
With such a scenario, hoping to salvage a positive outcome seems rather utopian: “There’s nothing this weekend that gives me hope things could go in the right direction,” admitted Charles Leclerc. “Tomorrow, a good day will consist of keeping the car on track and trying to score a few points. I’ll try to get into the top 10, but realistically, do I really believe it? Honestly, no.”
The limited strategic options due to the two-stop rule and the 25-lap maximum per stint further complicate the situation: “I think like other drivers, this will make the race static. It will probably be hard to overtake tomorrow if the car is as bad as it is now.” Additionally, the DRS appears ineffective at Lusail: “I would have liked a longer DRS zone. There definitely need to be changes for this track to help with overtaking because after qualifying it is very difficult to pass, especially in these conditions.”
Hamilton: “Car improved, but the times don’t reflect it”
Lewis Hamilton’s analysis is not much different. He felt better with the SF-25, but the improvement was not reflected in lap times: “The car was much better, it’s just that our times didn’t reflect that feeling,” he said after his early elimination. “The car was fine. Honestly, it was much better compared to the rest of the weekend. We were doing well, and then we couldn’t complete the last lap.”
The seven-time world champion confirmed it will be tough to climb back in the race: “As you saw in the Sprint, there weren’t any overtakes, so I’ll try a different strategy. We lack stability and downforce compared to others, so the car is at the limit, and we’ll need a bit of luck.”
He also confirmed what Charles Leclerc and team principal Fred Vasseur had already stated: the early abandonment of the SF-25 project in favor of focusing on 2026. “Development wasn’t the problem. I wanted them to move to next year’s car when we knew this one wasn’t good. I wanted to make sure we started early. So I gave my full support to this decision. It’s been a long year with what we had. There are just other things we need to work on.”
Finally, Lewis Hamilton dedicated a thought to the Ferrari team: “I think the results are certainly important for all the mechanics, engineers who come every weekend, and everyone working in the factory. I’m sure it’s tough for them. They’re working hard and giving their best, but I don’t think it’s linked to development, it’s simply what we had to face this year.” He also criticized the external environment: “And then there’s the negativity constantly in the media and things like that, which affects them. They go home to their wives and say ‘they said this,’ and I’m sure it’s tough for them. So there’s a huge impact on a lot of people.”
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