These were yet another set of complicated qualifying sessions for Ferrari this season, though according to Fred Vasseur, there’s still hope for a good result in the Saudi Arabian GP. The two Ferrari SF-25 cars of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will start from fourth and seventh place respectively.
While the Monegasque managed to secure the minimum expected result, Lewis Hamilton continues to struggle. The seven-time world champion will start from the fourth row, behind Carlos Sainz, who delivered an excellent performance on Saturday in Jeddah.
Ferrari will need to carefully study its race strategy to try and gain some positions on Sunday. It won’t be easy, considering McLaren and Mercedes have already shown strong pace since free practice. There’s also the unknown of Red Bull’s race pace: despite a superb qualifying performance from Verstappen, they might suffer a bit over long stints.
Vasseur comments on Ferrari’s qualifying
The team principal of the Maranello-based squad commented on his drivers’ session at the end of qualifying: “You can always do more. Since the beginning of the weekend, we’ve been losing a lot of time in Turn 1, and I think that explains the three-tenths gap from pole. Now we need to focus on the race, even though nobody has had a chance to test long-run pace. In previous races we’ve performed better on Sunday than on Saturday,” said Fred Vasseur.
“The problem with this track is that if you push too hard on the outlap, you can’t finish the lap. But if you don’t push enough, you lose a lot in the first two corners. It’s a delicate and difficult balance to find,” added Ferrari’s team boss.
Fred Vasseur then spoke about the gap between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. “Compared to last weekend, the situation is different. In Bahrain, Lewis was quick in every session but made a mistake in Q3. Here, he never really found the right feeling, and on this circuit, without confidence, it’s hard to perform. I’m convinced he’ll do well.”
“I don’t think the issue is adaptation. After just two races, he already took pole and won the Sprint. The matter is about balance. He needs to find the right one each weekend, but I’m sure he will.”
“Of course, I’m disappointed because the goal is never to be three-tenths off pole. The feeling is that we weren’t able to put everything together, but you can overtake in Jeddah, so let’s see what happens.” – the French manager pointed out.
Is Ferrari’s 2025 really already over? Fred Vasseur, formerly Alfa Romeo’s team principal, responded on the topic: “If we look at the first few races, it’s clear that the situation changes every week. Max won in Suzuka, then struggled in Bahrain, and now he’s on pole again here. Only McLaren seems to have the consistency in performance that’s needed.”
