Ferrari faces deep concerns after disappointing Singapore GP qualifying
Ferrari endured yet another underwhelming qualifying session during the 2025 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton managing only sixth place and Charles Leclerc finishing seventh. The Scuderia once again struggled to match the pace of their main rivals over a single lap, highlighting ongoing issues with the SF-25 at Marina Bay.
Hamilton and Leclerc fail to challenge front-runners
In Saturday’s Q3 session, Hamilton and Leclerc were 0.530 and 0.626 seconds behind polesitter George Russell, who delivered a 1:29.158 lap to secure Mercedes’ first pole at Marina Bay since Lewis Hamilton’s iconic 2018 qualifying performance. While Mercedes celebrates a return to dominance in Singapore, the result sounded alarm bells for Ferrari, raising questions about the team’s ability to consistently challenge for pole positions.
The Singapore GP qualifying continued a concerning trend for Ferrari in 2025. Since Leclerc secured pole in Hungary earlier in August, the Scuderia has struggled in subsequent sessions: sixth and seventh at Zandvoort, fourth and fifth at Monza, and tenth and twelfth in Baku. These inconsistent results underscore the ongoing challenges Ferrari faces in translating strong practice sessions into competitive qualifying pace.
Leclerc struggles under pressure, Button warns of fear in Ferrari garage
Charles Leclerc nearly failed to progress through Q2 at Singapore, starting his final flying lap outside the top ten. Throughout qualifying, the Monegasque driver consistently battled grip issues, a situation that did not go unnoticed by F1 expert Jenson Button. The 2009 World Champion suggested that Ferrari’s personnel might now be “afraid” of making mistakes, creating a tense environment in the garage.
Button observed that Ferrari team members appeared cautious, worried about being replaced, and that this fear could be affecting both drivers’ performance and team consistency. He stressed the importance of maintaining confidence and cohesion across the team to support both drivers and technical staff. Button emphasized that Ferrari has strong leadership and an excellent driver lineup, but the current atmosphere could undermine the team’s long-term potential if not addressed.
Impact on Mercedes and the constructors’ battle
Mercedes’ George Russell not only secured pole position but also strengthened the team’s challenge for the constructors’ standings. Ferrari’s qualifying struggles in Singapore, combined with Red Bull’s strong performance and competitive lap times from McLaren, have widened the performance gap. Only Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda failed to reach the front four rows, underscoring the dominance of Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren in Singapore qualifying.
Hamilton, as Ferrari’s lead driver, ended up over half a second slower than Russell and slightly behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in P2 and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren in P3. These margins demonstrate that Ferrari remains off the pace across multiple rivals, with the team now relying on race strategy and potential race pace improvements to mitigate the qualifying deficit.
Off-track issues exacerbate the tense Singapore weekend
The Singapore GP weekend has been particularly turbulent for Ferrari, with on-track incidents adding to the team’s challenges. During practice, Charles Leclerc was involved in a pit-lane collision with Lando Norris, which resulted in a broken front wing for the McLaren driver and a fine for Ferrari. Combined with the disappointing Saturday qualifying session, these incidents have highlighted operational and performance issues that could impact the remainder of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Implications for the F1 constructors’ standings
Ferrari’s continued qualifying difficulties at Marina Bay could also influence the battle for second place in the 2025 F1 constructors’ championship. Mercedes currently leads Ferrari by four points, with Red Bull a further 18 points ahead. Unless Ferrari can significantly improve both qualifying and race pace, their hopes of challenging for higher positions in the championship may be under threat, emphasizing the urgent need for technical solutions and strategic optimization in upcoming races.
In conclusion, the 2025 Singapore GP qualifying exposed Ferrari’s vulnerabilities in both car performance and team cohesion. With Hamilton and Leclerc struggling to match the front-running pace and experts like Jenson Button raising concerns about the team’s mentality, Ferrari faces a critical period to regain competitiveness and restore confidence within the Scuderia.
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