SF25 struggles with fast section rotation, Charles Leclerc’s talent keeps Ferrari in the fight: Jeddah Qualifying. Ferrari struggles with the SF-25's poor rotation in fast sections during Saudi Arabia GP qualifying.

The fifth qualifying session of the 2025 Formula 1 season is underway. Ferrari is chasing McLaren, clearly favored for pole position even in this session. Leclerc needs to refine something if he wants to compete with the two papaya cars, who dominated today’s final free practice session, similar to what happened in the Bahrain Grand Prix seven days ago. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, still has a lot of work ahead, with confidence in the SF-25 yet to come.

The third free practice session ended with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ahead of everyone, six-tenths clear of the competition, with George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc as the first real followers at a considerable distance. As the temperatures dropped, however, the gaps should narrow as they did last week, despite being on a different track with practically opposite asphalt characteristics.

Now let’s take a detailed look at how the qualifying session unfolded for the two Ferrari drivers at the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit:

Both Ferrari cars head out in Q1 with a fresh set of Soft tires. The lower temperatures compared to the final free practice session are an advantage, but tire activation remains challenging for the Maranello team. The outlap is fairly quick, with Charles Leclerc starting the lap aggressively but having to correct oversteer in Turn 1. The rest of the attempt is decent, although understeer penalizes the exit in some corners. Lewis Hamilton is cleaner but slower.

After a pit lane stop, with Charles Leclerc held at the weighing scales, both SF-25 cars do a cool-down lap and prepare for a second attempt. Tire activation continues to be difficult, with the Briton cautious and the Monegasque drive raggressive but inaccurate at Turn 27. Both drivers struggle to find confidence and rhythm, considering a further attempt. In the end, they choose not to risk it and opt for a new set of Softs for the final lap, aiming for an effective finish to Q1.

Lewis Hamilton makes a mistake at Turn 1 with new tires, running wide and losing precious time, but he has to complete the lap to avoid elimination (9th). Charles Leclerc, however, can slow down in the middle sector, having already set a sufficient time to pass (13th). The situation highlights some struggles with the setup.

Q2 looks challenging for both. A step up in performance is needed. Max Verstappen sets the fastest time, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Lance Stroll, Jack Doohan, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Gabriel Bortoleto are out. The 15 drivers advancing to Q2 are within seven-tenths, indicating how every small detail makes a difference.

In Q2, both Ferrari drivers start with the used Soft tires from earlier. Charles Leclerc takes a more cautious outlap, while Lewis Hamilton pushes harder. With the tires already bedded in, the temperatures are more stable, allowing for better front-end behavior, although the grip is not quite as good as with fresh tires. In the pits, adjustments are made to the front load to refine the balance.

After an initial inconclusive lap, with the Monegasque driver in fifth place and the Briton P8, they return to the pits for a new set of Softs. Charles Leclerc gets a +3 click adjustment at the front, while the British champion receives +2, confirming a constant search for precision in the guided sections. With the new tires, both aim for a good time to reach Q3. The track improves, but traffic remains a factor to manage.

The Ferrari SF-25 still suffers from poor rotation in the fast sections. They push again after the usual warm-up: Charles Leclerc corrects at Turn 2 due to severe oversteer but redeems himself with a strong second sector. In turn 3, he loses some time with a snap coming out of the final corner. Lewis Hamilton starts strong but struggles in the direction changes in the middle sector and remains slower than his teammate. Both make it to Q3, with the Briton qualifying by just 7 thousandths. Out are Alex Albon, Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar, and Oliver Bearman. Carlos Sainz makes it to Q3.

The decisive moment of Q3 is interrupted abruptly by a twist: Lando Norris crashes into the barriers at Turn 4 while attempting his fast lap. The incident occurs just as his teammate Oscar Piastri completes his lap, temporarily valid for pole position, being the only one to finish the lap.

The two Ferrari cars, out with used tires, are unable to complete their attempts and are forced to return to the pits. It seems both Ferrari drivers’ warm-up strategy was a bit more cautious, with a slightly relaxed outlap before pushing. However, Lando Norris’ contact forces an interruption, blocking the first runs for all the other drivers.

The Briton pushed too hard in search of the limit, but in Jeddah, a minimal mistake is enough to pay a heavy price. In the final attempt, Charles Leclerc gives his all, while hos Maranello teammate once again struggles more. Max Verstappen, with a stunning lap, takes pole position for the Saudi Arabian GP, beating Oscar Piastri by ten thousandths. The second row consists of George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while the third row features Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz. Lewis Hamilton is only 7th, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda. The top 10 is completed by Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.

— see video above —