Lewis Hamilton was left puzzled after a disappointing Sprint Qualifying session for Ferrari at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where the team struggled to match the pace of their main rivals. The British driver finished eighth, while his teammate Charles Leclerc could only manage tenth, confirming the difficulties faced by the Maranello outfit. Hamilton highlighted the main issue that led to such a result, though he also pointed out one positive aspect — he feels he has now reached the same performance level as Leclerc in this phase of the championship.
The Ferrari SF-25 is increasingly establishing itself as the fourth-fastest car on the grid, and the goal of securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship seems to be slipping away. Both Mercedes and Red Bull have brought successful updates in recent races, allowing them to take a clear step forward. Meanwhile, Ferrari has confirmed that it will not introduce further developments this season, preferring instead to focus resources on the 2026 project. This decision could make the final rounds of the championship extremely challenging for the Italian team.
The gap to the rivals is becoming alarming
Speaking to Sky Sport F1, Hamilton analyzed Ferrari’s performance during the Austin Sprint Qualifying session. The seven-time World Champion appeared surprised by how much the car’s performance deteriorated as the session went on. “In SQ1 I felt quite good,” said Hamilton, “but then we started to drop off and lose performance.”
“The car was really difficult to drive,” he added. “We dropped off massively, and eight tenths is a huge gap.” His comment referred to the difference from Max Verstappen at the top of the timesheets, but there was also a surprising three-tenths gap to the Sauber of Nico Hülkenberg, a sign of how much Ferrari struggled compared to even the midfield teams.
Preparing for the Sprint race
Despite the disappointing result, Lewis Hamilton tried to remain optimistic about the rest of the weekend. “We’ll need to analyze today’s session carefully,” he explained, “because the car had shown some promising pace earlier, and I was generally satisfied with its balance in free practice and SQ1.”
“However, during the Sprint Qualifying it was hard to maintain that rhythm,” continued the British driver. “Tonight we’ll discuss the best approach for tomorrow’s race, also considering our starting positions.”
Ferrari will now need to work overnight to understand the sudden drop in performance and find a way to regain competitiveness for Sunday’s Grand Prix. With McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes showing stronger pace, the Italian team faces an uphill battle to stay within reach of the top three.
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