Lewis Hamilton's difficult end to the Formula 1 season continued on Saturday night as he qualified 18th for the Qatar Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was eliminated in Q1 for the third consecutive race, following a similar fate in Las Vegas and the sprint qualifying session in Qatar.
Hamilton, who has yet to secure a podium finish with Ferrari, struggled with a lack of stability in his SF-25 car. He described the rear end as not being planted, causing sliding and snapping, along with bouncing and mid-corner understeer. “It’s a fight like you can’t believe,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Hamilton finished the sprint race in 17th after starting from the pit lane. His teammate Charles Leclerc also struggled, qualifying only 10th. Hamilton expressed gratitude for the support from Ferrari fans but admitted he had no message for them at this time.
Hamilton currently sits sixth in the drivers' championship and faces his first season without a top-three finish. His replacement at Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli, is just 12 points behind him. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri will start on pole ahead of title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
