Ferrari will no longer be able to claim second place in the 2025 Formula 1 constructors’ championship after an unacceptably poor performance at the Qatar Grand Prix, where the team managed to score just four points across the weekend.
The final Sprint event of the season at Lusail presented Ferrari with their last realistic chance to overtake McLaren for the runner-up position. However, the SF-25 proved to be firmly a midfield contender. On Saturday, both Ferrari cars finished outside the points for the first time since the 2021 French Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton started the Sprint from the pit lane after qualifying 17th, while Charles Leclerc fell from ninth to 13th.
During the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton suffered another Q1 elimination, essentially ruling out any points opportunity due to the difficulty of overtaking and the limited strategic options. Charles Leclerc qualified 10th and finished eighth, ensuring Ferrari salvaged at least a few points from the weekend.
Despite Leclerc’s effort, the gap to Mercedes has expanded to 77 points with only 43 remaining up for grabs. Red Bull leads the way with a 44-point advantage over Ferrari, making it almost certain that the Scuderia will finish fourth overall in the constructors’ championship.
Internal fallout after Ferrari’s woeful weekend
Missing out on a top-three finish marks only the fourth time Ferrari have failed to reach the podium in the constructors’ standings in the 21st century (2009, 2014, 2020). The team had been targeting the championship fiercely after pushing McLaren to the limit last season.
According to reports from the Italian media, this disappointing outcome has triggered internal repercussions for Ferrari staff. Bonus payouts have been impacted, with the team potentially losing up to £17.6 million in prize money. Beyond financial consequences, the atmosphere at Maranello has soured as calls for accountability grow louder.
Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari to raise the team’s performance standards, is reportedly facing internal scrutiny. The 40-year-old seven-time world champion appears to some staff as an outlier within the team, and this season, he has arguably been unable to meet the expectations placed on him.
The report also suggests that many team members feel nostalgic for Carlos Sainz, who secured his second podium of the season in a Williams last weekend. Lewis Hamilton, by contrast, has yet to achieve a top-three finish with Ferrari, while Charles Leclerc has finished on the podium seven times in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton’s contribution underlines Ferrari’s struggles
Hamilton has accumulated 152 points this season, accounting for just 39.8% of Ferrari’s total points in 2025. He now risks dropping out of the top six in the drivers’ championship, with Mercedes newcomer Kimi Antonelli just two points behind.
By comparison, Carlos Sainz contributed 44.4% of Ferrari’s points in 2024, delivering nine podium finishes compared to Charles Leclerc’s 13. The statistics underline how the Spaniard was significantly more productive relative to his teammate when the car allowed it.
Speaking after the Lusail Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz defended Lewis Hamilton, noting that Charles Leclerc’s familiarity with the car and team dynamics gives him an advantage. Despite that, Sainz was Ferrari’s top scorer during his debut season in 2021, albeit narrowly.
Looking ahead, Carlos Sainz has suggested he would consider returning to Ferrari in the distant future, contingent on Williams’ performance in Formula 1’s evolving era. Meanwhile, Ferrari must address both their car development and internal team dynamics to avoid further setbacks in 2026.
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