Lewis Hamilton endured yet another difficult weekend with Ferrari in the 2025 season, leaving the Qatar Grand Prix with no points once again. The seven-time world champion lacked competitive pace throughout the event, suffering an early exit in SQ1 before finishing a disappointing 17th in the Sprint race.
The situation looked worrying even from the outside, with Pierre Gasly reportedly remarking that the Ferrari appeared “so bad,” a harsh assessment considering the Frenchman has scored only 22 points with Alpine this year. Qualifying brought no relief for Hamilton either, as he was eliminated in Q1 for the second time over the weekend, highlighting the persistent issues he has faced with the SF-25.
Concerns have grown within Ferrari’s inner circles as the Briton’s deficit to teammate Charles Leclerc continues to widen. While Hamilton struggled at the back, Charles Leclerc at least managed to reach Q3, though he could only secure P10. In the race itself, the Monegasque driver salvaged eighth place for the team, whereas Hamilton finished down in 12th — matching his lowest result as a Ferrari driver, a position he had previously recorded in Budapest.
Lewis Hamilton later reflected that he believed he might have been capable of scoring points had it not been for the early safety car triggered by Nico Hülkenberg’s collision with Pierre Gasly on lap seven. The interruption halted the race just as he was attempting to gain ground, leaving him stuck in the midfield without the opportunity to advance further.
Describing 2025 as the most challenging season of his Formula 1 career, Hamilton conveyed a firm message to Ferrari in the aftermath of the race. He indicated that, based on the extensive notes and feedback he has provided, he sees no justifiable reason why the team should not be capable of making meaningful improvements. His comments reflected both frustration and determination, underscoring his belief that Ferrari must act decisively if they are to reverse their declining form.
The former Mercedes man explained after the race that he felt physically well and believed he had executed a strong opening lap, gaining several positions before an unfortunately timed safety car disrupted his early momentum. He noted that he tried to take as much enjoyment from the race as possible despite the limitations of the SF-25 single-seater.
The British driver reflected that the 2025 campaign had been the most demanding year of his Formula 1 career, both inside the cockpit and away from the track. He revealed that he had compiled an extensive list of areas where Ferrari needed to improve and suggested that the future would reveal whether the team acted on those recommendations. Hamilton stressed that the Scuderia needed to preserve the few elements that were working while addressing the many that were not. From his perspective, there was no valid reason why those shortcomings could not be resolved if the organisation simply committed to implementing the necessary changes. He expressed cautious optimism that Ferrari could eventually make meaningful progress.
Ferrari have faced criticism for disregarding Lewis Hamilton’s technical concerns throughout the season
The difficulties Hamilton experienced in Qatar reflected the broader pattern of his entire 2025 season, during which he has continually struggled to integrate smoothly into his new environment at Ferrari. Tensions between Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, have been a recurring theme, with disagreements frequently arising over car balance, strategic decisions, and development direction.
Behind the scenes, Lewis Hamilton reportedly pushed the team to prioritise aerodynamic upgrades for the SF-25. However, team principal Frédéric Vasseur decided to devote resources to a revised rear-suspension package instead — a change that ultimately failed to deliver the expected performance gains. This choice further contributed to the disconnect between the driver’s feedback and the team’s design strategy.
Now that Ferrari are mathematically locked into fourth place in the constructors’ championship, the British driver is simply waiting for the difficult season to conclude. The seven-time world champion is expected to treat 2026 as an opportunity for a full reset, recognising that the next campaign may represent his final realistic chance to compete for an eighth Formula 1 world title.
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