Ferrari’s qualifying issue at Silverstone identified: harsh verdict given by Sky Sport F1 commentator. Matteo Bobbi blamed driver mistakes—not the SF-25 car—for Ferrari’s disappointing qualifying result at Silverstone.

Ferrari’s qualifying issues at Silverstone revealed: Matteo Bobbi delivers a blunt verdict on driver performance

During the qualifying session for the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, both Scuderia Ferrari drivers finished outside the top four positions. Lewis Hamilton secured fifth place, just ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, who ended the session in sixth. On a track where the British driver felt more confident, Ferrari had initially shown signs of being in the fight for pole position—especially after Friday’s free practice sessions—but something ultimately went wrong in the final phase of qualifying.

Prior to Q3, the Maranello-based team had topped the timesheets in Q2, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton holding the first and second positions respectively. With the threat of rain having receded, anticipation built for an intense shootout for pole. The two Ferrari drivers looked firmly in contention up to the second sector of their final flying laps. But in the end, it was Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who claimed pole position once again, leaving both Ferrari cars relegated to the third row on the starting grid.

The crucial mistake that cost Ferrari a front-row start

According to former driver and Sky Sport F1 commentator Matteo Bobbi, the problem for Ferrari was not the performance of the SF-25 itself. In his analysis after the qualifying session, Bobbi pointed out that both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc made critical mistakes in the final part of the Silverstone circuit. These driving errors ultimately prevented Scuderia Ferrari from securing a place on the front row of the grid.

The frustration of Charles Leclerc was clear and immediate: the Monegasque driver was seen visibly venting his anger by striking the steering wheel of his SF-25 car, numbered #16. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton appeared calmer in his post-session interviews and remained optimistic about Ferrari’s race prospects, stating that a podium finish was still a realistic goal.

Matteo Bobbi did not mince words in his evaluation: “Today, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari all had cars capable of taking pole position. But the drivers from both the Papaya team and the Scuderia weren’t flawless—there were minor errors here and there. The only one who managed to extract absolutely everything from his car was Max Verstappen. He’s simply born better than the others.”

The Sky Sport F1 pundit emphasized that the difference in qualifying did not come from the cars, but rather from the drivers’ execution under pressure. Once again, Max Verstappen’s precision and consistency proved decisive. Meanwhile, Ferrari demonstrated that the SF-25 has reached a competitive level and has made progress in resolving its early-season weaknesses in one-lap pace.

While the final result was disappointing, the overall pace shown throughout the weekend suggests that the potential is there. With a strong race strategy and fewer mistakes on Sunday, Ferrari could still turn the situation around and fight for a strong finish in the British Grand Prix.