Lewis Hamilton's difficult debut season with Ferrari hit another painful low during Friday's Sprint qualifying session for the Qatar Grand Prix, with the seven-time world champion suffering an embarrassing early elimination.
Hamilton's Qualifying Nightmare Continues
The British racing legend endured what he described as an "awful Friday night" at the Losail International Circuit, failing to progress beyond the first segment of Sprint qualifying. Hamilton found himself languishing in the bottom five as he began his final run in SQ1, a position from which he would traditionally recover with a blistering lap.
However, the 2025 season has proven different for Hamilton, who continues to struggle with his Ferrari machinery. His final attempt provided minimal improvement, leaving him vulnerable in the elimination zone. The situation worsened when Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli delivered an impressive lap that pushed Hamilton down to 18th position, sealing his fate.
McLaren Dominance and Championship Implications
While Hamilton faced disappointment, McLaren's Oscar Piastri delivered a masterclass to claim pole position for Saturday's Sprint race. The Australian's performance served notice to championship leader and teammate Lando Norris that the title fight remains very much alive.
Mercedes driver George Russell managed to split the two McLarens, qualifying second and potentially playing a crucial role in the championship battle. Every point proves vital in these final two race weekends, with Russell's position between Piastri and Norris adding strategic complexity.
Red Bull's championship challenger Max Verstappen could only manage sixth on the grid, surprisingly outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda who qualified fifth.
Ferrari's Mixed Fortunes and Standout Performances
The session highlighted Ferrari's ongoing struggles, though not all was bleak for the Italian team. Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc progressed comfortably to SQ3 but could only manage ninth position, continuing what has been another humbling day for Ferrari.
Other notable performances included Fernando Alonso securing an impressive fourth for Aston Martin, with new team principal Adrian Newey observing from the pit wall. Williams celebrated getting both cars into SQ3, with Carlos Sainz qualifying eighth and Alex Albon tenth, though both finished behind the impressive Antonelli in seventh.
After the session, Piastri commented: "It has been a day where things have clicked from the start. I'm happy with the result - a few things to tidy up but it is nice to be able to say that starting from pole."
Norris added: "The pace was there, but I made a mistake on the last corner on my first lap and didn't put it together. I'd be stupid not to try to win - I'm here to try to win, so I'll see what I can find overnight."
The full Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying results saw Piastri take pole ahead of Russell, Norris, Alonso, Tsunoda, Verstappen, Antonelli, Sainz, Leclerc and Albon completing the top ten.
