Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton are fully aware of how critical the coming months will be as the turbulent 2025 Formula 1 season draws to a close. The seven-time world champion’s two top-three finishes this year, achieved in China and Miami, now feel like distant memories, and neither contributes to his official career podium tally, as both were earned in Sprint races rather than the main Grand Prix events.
The Qatar Grand Prix represented one final opportunity for Lewis Hamilton to make the most of the Sprint format, which has played to his strengths throughout the season. However, Ferrari’s glaring lack of competitiveness became evident as soon as qualifying commenced. Hamilton failed to advance beyond SQ1, while teammate Charles Leclerc narrowly made it into ninth place. Both drivers were unable to score points in the Sprint Race, with Hamilton’s pit lane start compounding the difficulty on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously challenging.
On Sunday, Leclerc earned a spot on the grid in 10th after a strong performance to reach Q3, whereas Hamilton once again fell at the earliest stage of qualifying. This disparity has intensified concerns among Ferrari insiders, who are increasingly uneasy about the growing performance gap between the two drivers.
Ferrari insiders express concern over Lewis Hamilton as gap to Charles Leclerc widens
A report from Motorsport Italia detailed the situation behind the scenes at Frédéric Vasseur’s team, highlighting that Ferrari made no meaningful progress over the Qatar weekend. In contrast, Alpine appeared to use the Sprint Race effectively as a development opportunity, with Pierre Gasly outqualifying both Hamilton and Leclerc. While fans largely refrain from blaming Lewis Hamilton for this underwhelming weekend, internal sentiment suggests that significant improvements must be made quickly to prevent further damage to the team’s campaign.
Sources indicate that “legitimate questions” are now being raised regarding Hamilton’s long-term future at Ferrari. Although upcoming regulation changes for 2026 offer renewed hope for every driver, Hamilton’s confidence is reportedly at one of its lowest points since his 2007 Formula 1 debut. Team insiders are particularly concerned about the widening performance gap between the two Ferrari drivers, and it has been suggested that if this trend continues into 2026, Fred Vasseur and Ferrari management may need to evaluate how long they can continue with the Briton as one of their drivers.
Lewis Hamilton sets a personal 15-year record with Qatar qualifying struggles
Consistency has always been a hallmark of world champions, and Lewis Hamilton’s career is no exception. During his dominant years at Mercedes, he consistently delivered exceptional performances, only narrowly missing out on additional titles due to intense competition and occasional misfortune, such as the 2016 season battle with Nico Rosberg and the 2021 championship fight.
The challenge Lewis Hamilton has faced in 2025, and in the later stages of his Mercedes tenure, has been his one-lap pace. In Qatar, this issue reached a new low, as he recorded a qualifying result of 18th — one of the worst of his entire career. This marked the second time since 2009 that Hamilton has recorded a qualifying position of 16th or worse, with previous low points in Monaco, Turkey, and Great Britain, all of which also resulted in zero points for the races.
Ferrari staff are understandably concerned about Lewis Hamilton’s current form compared to his Maranello teammate, particularly as the team sets its sights on ending its championship drought next year. The growing performance disparity raises pressing questions about whether Hamilton can deliver the consistency and competitiveness Ferrari will need to challenge for titles in 2026. With one race remaining in 2025, the next few months will be crucial for both Hamilton and the Scuderia as they look to reset and plan for a championship push in the coming season.
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