Ferrari's 2025 Hits New Low in Sprint, Drivers Stunned by Car's Lack of Stability
Ferrari experienced a new low in the Qatar sprint race, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc failing to score points for the first time since 2021. Drivers described the car as a "fight" due to extreme instability, bouncing, and snap oversteer, leaving them baffled and frustrated. This performance raises significant concerns about the car's fundamental handling and setup challenges.
Ferrari's first combined non-score in a Formula 1 sprint race since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix highlighted the 'fight like you couldn't believe' its drivers faced in taming their unpredictable car. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggled significantly in Qatar, with neither driver able to make an impact, raising serious questions about the car's inherent issues.
Why it matters:
Ferrari's consistent underperformance in sprint races, culminating in a double non-score, underscores persistent problems with their car's stability and setup adaptability. This inability to extract pace in varied conditions is a major concern for a team with championship aspirations, pointing to deeper aerodynamic or mechanical issues that could hinder their entire season.
The Details:
- Qatar Sprint Performance: Hamilton started 18th, opting for a pitlane start after a complete setup overhaul, yet finished 17th. Leclerc, starting 9th, dropped to 13th due to numerous wide moments and struggles.
- Historic Low: This marks the first time since the 2021 French Grand Prix that both Ferrari cars were classified without scoring points in a sprint, and the first non-score for both since Monza 2021 (when only the top three scored).
- Driver Frustration: Both drivers expressed profound difficulty with the car. Hamilton described it as lacking 'stability', with the 'rear end not planted', 'sliding, snapping a lot', 'bouncing', and having 'mid-corner understeer'.
- Hamilton shared a telling anecdote: Alpine driver Pierre Gasly commented, "yo... it looks so bad!" after following him during the sprint.
- Leclerc's Struggles: Leclerc reported an 'incredibly difficult to drive' car, especially on the opening lap where he lost multiple positions. He suspected damage but noted the problems were present from the start.
- Setup Woes: Despite identical parc ferme conditions, Leclerc stated the car felt 'completely changed' and 'horrible' compared to qualifying, indicating a significant sensitivity to track conditions or inherent flaws.
The Big Picture:
Ferrari's recurring issues with car stability and unpredictable performance, especially in crucial sprint races, suggest a fundamental engineering challenge. While individual race weekends can be anomalous, this pattern highlights a potential structural flaw that prevents the team from consistently competing at the front. The struggle to adapt the car within parc ferme rules further compounds their difficulties, putting immense pressure on the engineering team to find solutions for the main Grand Prix.
What's next:
With the main Qatar Grand Prix approaching, Ferrari faces an uphill battle to rectify the issues. Leclerc's comment, "the only hope was to 'change the car' massively for the rest of the Qatar GP weekend," underscores the severity of the problem. However, significant changes are restricted under parc ferme, making a dramatic turnaround unlikely. The team will be scrutinizing data to understand the root cause of the stability issues, hoping to implement minor adjustments that could at least improve the car's drivability for Sunday's race and prevent a repeat of this disappointing performance.