Ferrari is experiencing one of its worst weekends of the season in Qatar, with the SF-25 exposing all its main weaknesses. But why is the situation so disastrous on this track? Here’s the possible explanation behind the red team’s huge drop in performance.
The Scuderia Ferrari car is struggling badly at Losail, and the SF-25’s limitations are impossible to hide. Earlier in the year, the car occasionally fought for podium positions, often thanks to exceptional drives from Charles Leclerc. Now, even the Monegasque driver knows there is no hope of doing anything better in Qatar. Lewis Hamilton is sinking further into difficulty. There is no setup compromise that can revive Ferrari this weekend. All eyes now turn to Abu Dhabi to end a season the team would rather forget.
Albano: “Clear problems with ride heights and stiffness. You can’t play games”
“The impression so far is that the issue for the red car this weekend in Qatar is that this type of circuit, with this type of asphalt, does not allow the problems of the SF-25 project to be hidden in any way. You can’t play with stiffness, with balance, with load. You need a car with as much downforce as possible, as low as possible to the ground, and therefore as stiff as possible in terms of suspension. At that point the aerodynamics have to work properly and deliver performance. This car was born with clear problems in ride heights and stiffness, and its aerodynamic load hasn’t increased since last spring.” These were the words of F1 analyst and expert Federico Albano.
We have already examined in detail all the flaws that have shaped Ferrari’s season. The design errors made during the winter are now emerging without any possible solution. Worst track, worst asphalt for an SF-25 that needs completely different conditions to behave like a decent car. The stronger performances seen in Austin and Mexico came from specific scenarios where Ferrari’s rivals were struggling even more. Brazil was an unlucky episode, but in Las Vegas the team’s long-standing weaknesses in wet conditions resurfaced. Now, in the dry, this is the qualifying session where Ferrari recorded its biggest gap from pole position in 2025.
“There is no stratagem or trick that can save you, you simply have to push to the maximum, and beyond this point there is no further margin. A nearly heroic Leclerc showed it clearly, dragging his car into Q3 by a hair, and even risking a huge amount with a double spin at almost 270 km/h as he tried to push beyond what the car could offer. He will start tenth, and no miracles should be expected in the race. For Lewis Hamilton, once again down in 18th, there is even less positive to say.”
Qatar has stripped away every illusion. When the track and the tarmac are this unforgiving, the SF-25 has nowhere left to hide.
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