Hamilton's Ferrari Struggles Hit New Low in Qatar
Lewis Hamilton's difficult first season with Ferrari reached a new nadir during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, where the seven-time world champion suffered his third consecutive elimination in Q1. The 40-year-old Briton could only manage 18th on the grid for Sunday's race, continuing a remarkable slump in form during the closing stages of the campaign.
Detailed Analysis Reveals Car's Fundamental Flaws
In stark contrast to his brief comments earlier in the weekend, Hamilton provided a comprehensive technical breakdown of the problems plaguing his SF-25 chassis. "We just don't have any stability – when I say that, the rear end is not planted, so it's sliding, snapping a lot," Hamilton explained. "Then we have bouncing, so when you're going into corners like turn 10, the thing starts bouncing, we have a lot of mid-corner understeer and then you apply the steering and then it snaps and you try and catch it."
The Mercedes legend described the machine as behaving differently across various speed ranges and summarised the driving experience as "a fight like you can't believe." Despite noting the car felt "better" during qualifying, the improvement proved insufficient to escape the first session.
Championship Position Under Threat From Rookie
Hamilton's troubles extend beyond single qualifying sessions, with the veteran facing the very real prospect of his first season without a podium finish. He currently sits sixth in the championship standings, with his replacement at Mercedes, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, now just 12 points behind him.
When asked for a message to the Ferrari faithful after qualifying, a dejected Hamilton responded: "I don't really have a message right now... I'm sorry. But I'm incredibly grateful for the support that I've had all year. I mean, I wouldn't have made it through this year without them."
The situation wasn't significantly better for teammate Charles Leclerc, who could only manage tenth on the grid. Hamilton's disastrous qualifying comes after he labelled this campaign "the worst season ever" following the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he qualified last.
Meanwhile, the battle at the front saw Oscar Piastri secure pole position ahead of title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, with Norris having the opportunity to claim his maiden championship if he wins Sunday's grand prix.
