LEWIS HAMILTON’S QATAR GP LOW POINT EXPOSES FERRARI’S DEEPEST 2025 CRISIS YET
For the seven-time World Champion, this wasn’t just another bad qualifying session. It wasn’t just another tough sprint. What happened in Qatar was a collapse in performance so severe, so unexpected, and so out of character for both Lewis and Ferrari, that it sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock.
Lewis recorded back-to-back Q1 eliminations for the first time in his Ferrari career. A statistic nobody — not fans, not Ferrari, and certainly not Lewis himself — would have believed possible 12 months ago when this blockbuster partnership was announced.
His P18 on Saturday wasn’t an unlucky misfire. It wasn’t weather-related. It wasn’t the result of a single mistake. It was the product of a car, the Ferrari SF-25, that simply refused to work underneath him. And at a high-speed track like Lusail, that kind of disconnect becomes brutally obvious.
Qualifying Exposes Ferrari’s Pain
Friday’s Sprint Qualifying should have been the warning sign — Lewis posted a 1:22.043, a time only good enough to beat both Alpines. But Ferrari fans hoped Saturday would bring a recovery, perhaps a top-10 showing, or at least a comfortable Q2 berth.
Instead, Saturday only confirmed the worst. Lewis improved his time massively to a 1:20.907, but still couldn’t escape Q1. Even more painful was seeing his teammate Charles Leclerc comfortably produce a 1:20.564 and cruise into Q3.
Lewis, meanwhile, was stuck down in P18 — ahead of only Lance Stroll and Franco Colapinto. The same result he achieved on Friday. The same issues. The same symptoms of a car that refuses to give him the confidence to push. For a driver who built his career on fearless commitment, late braking, ridiculous cornering speed, and supernatural feel, there is nothing more demoralizing than driving a car that feels like it has no grip beneath it.
Sprint Disaster Adds To The Misery
The Sprint offered no escape. Lewis started from the pit lane after Ferrari misjudged Friday’s setup direction, then dragged a reluctant SF-25 to P17. His frustration was visible even during the Sprint — hesitations on throttle, mid-corner corrections, and a car that seemed to fight him at every phase of the lap.
Ferrari entered Qatar hoping to stabilise their season. Instead, everything unravelled faster than anyone expected.
Chandhok Identifies The Core Problem
Sky F1 analyst Karun Chandhok spent time reviewing Lewis’s onboard footage from his final Q1 run. What he found wasn’t just a technical issue — it was a driver-car trust issue, the worst possible problem any driver can face.
According to Chandhok, Lewis simply did not trust the Ferrari SF-25’s balance or grip levels. At Lusail, a circuit built on long sweeping bends and high-speed commitment, that lack of trust is devastating.
Where others kept their foot planted, Lewis lifted.
Where others committed with confidence, Lewis hesitated.
Where others could lean on their car, Lewis was forced to drive around its weaknesses.
Chandhok called out:
Turns 3 and 4: visible hesitation on throttle, several micro-inputs instead of one clean application
Turn 6 hairpin: snap oversteer on entry, forcing Lewis to correct and losing momentum
Turn 15: one of the worst moments — others performed a light lift, but Lewis had to back off significantly
This wasn’t a driver making mistakes — it was a driver trying to avoid disaster.
Gasly’s Reaction Says Everything
After the Sprint, Pierre Gasly approached Lewis in parc fermé. What he told him revealed everything about how bad the Ferrari looked.
“Yo, you look so bad,” Gasly said, almost in disbelief.
Lewis didn’t sugarcoat his reply.
“I know. No sh— Sherlock.”
When rival drivers — in slower cars — are shocked by how unstable the Ferrari looks on track, the alarm bells inside Maranello should be deafening. Gasly followed Lewis for several laps, watching the Ferrari slide, understeer, oversteer, and lose traction in almost every phase of the lap. According to him, the car simply looked “wrong.”
For Lewis, hearing this isn’t just frustrating — it’s embarrassing. No top-tier driver wants the world to see them fighting the car like a rookie.
Ferrari’s Issues Run Deeper Than Qatar
Qatar wasn’t an isolated case. It was the latest in a chain of worrying trends.
Lewis qualified P20 in Las Vegas, his first ever last-place qualifying result on pure pace
He’s now recorded three consecutive Q1 exits
His Sprint pace has collapsed
His race pace has become wildly inconsistent
His tyre management advantage has vanished
And the Ferrari SF-25’s confidence window has become almost impossible to read.
Even Lewis’s emotional tone has shifted dramatically. After Brazil, he called this season a “nightmare.” After Las Vegas, he said he was “not looking forward” to next year. After Qatar, he looked defeated — something we rarely see.
For a driver of Lewis’s calibre, mental resilience is usually his biggest strength. But even he has a breaking point.
Ferrari Faces An Identity Crisis
Ferrari signed Lewis to bring:
- leadership
- race experience
- technical feedback
- title-winning mentality
- and global confidence
Instead, they’ve delivered him a car that looks unstable, unpredictable, and incapable of giving him the basic tools to compete. The Ferrari SF-25 isn’t just slow — it’s inconsistent. One weekend it looks promising, the next it falls apart. The team has been fighting correlation issues, grip-window problems, and a balance that shifts dramatically between fuel loads and tyre conditions.
Lewis thrives with predictability — a sharp front end, a stable rear, and a car that gives him clear feedback. The SF-25 gives him none of that.
Leclerc’s Pace Adds More Pressure
Charles Leclerc’s ability to extract more out of the same machinery only intensifies the situation.
Leclerc was P9 in Q1.
Lewis was P18.
Leclerc made Q3.
Lewis never came close.
This doesn’t mean Lewis is slower. It means the Ferrari has a narrow performance window — one that Leclerc has adapted to faster this season. The car seems built around Leclerc’s more aggressive turn-in style, not Lewis’s smoother approach. This mismatch is at the core of Ferrari’s technical headache.
Lewis’s Worst Statistical Season In The Modern Era
Based on his points tally, Lewis is heading toward:
- his lowest scoring season since 2010
- his worst average qualifying delta in his career
- his longest podium drought ever
- and potentially his first season without a podium
For the most successful driver in F1 history, these numbers are staggering. They don’t reflect a declining driver — they reflect a declining car. Lewis’s ability hasn’t disappeared. His instincts haven’t faded. His racecraft hasn’t weakened. The Ferrari simply isn’t giving him the foundation he needs.
Ferrari Must Act Before Abu Dhabi
With only Abu Dhabi left in the 2025 season, Ferrari must:
- rebuild Lewis’s confidence
- analyse the data behind the Lusail tyre behaviour
- give him a car that reacts predictably
- restore stability in high-speed corners
- ensure the 2026 development path is aligned with Lewis’s feedback
Because if this spiral continues, Ferrari risks not only wasting Lewis’s first year — but delaying the championship project they hoped he would lead.
A Season Of Pain… But Not The End
Despite everything, Lewis has shown flashes of the fighter he has always been. His P19 to P8 charge in Las Vegas was a reminder of who he is. His ability to handle media pressure has been exemplary. His leadership inside Ferrari has remained strong. And even after the Qatar disaster, Lewis didn’t turn against the team. Instead, he chose honesty — brutal honesty — because he cares.
Because he wants this project to work. Because he believes Ferrari can rise again. Because he sees the long-term vision. And because he knows the journey to the top is never easy.
If Ferrari gives Lewis even a fraction of the car he needs, he will rise. Not just back to form — but back into the fight.
Because Lewis doesn’t break. He bends, he battles, he bleeds for every lap — but he never breaks. And when Ferrari finally gives him a car that works…
He’ll be unstoppable.
But, we'll have to wait for next year.
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