Hamilton's Blunt Reaction to Ferrari's Qatar Sprint Struggles
Lewis Hamilton had a blunt "No sh*t sherlock" reaction when Pierre Gasly commented on his Ferrari's poor performance during the Qatar Sprint race. Starting from the pit lane due to setup changes, Hamilton finished 17th, battling extreme instability, bouncing, and understeer. Charles Leclerc echoed his struggles, highlighting Ferrari's deep-seated issues as they fall further behind in the Constructors' Championship.
Ferrari endured a nightmare Qatar Sprint race, with Charles Leclerc dropping to 13th and Lewis Hamilton finishing 17th. Hamilton, who started from the pit lane after setup changes, later revealed Alpine driver Pierre Gasly approached him to say, "You looked so bad!" in the Ferrari, to which Hamilton retorted, "No sh*t sherlock."
Why it matters:
After a challenging season, Ferrari's performance in the Qatar Sprint highlights persistent issues with the SF-25's stability and overall drivability. With Mercedes extending its lead in the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari's ability to quickly diagnose and rectify these problems is crucial for its aspirations to challenge for top positions and build confidence ahead of Hamilton's full transition to the team.
The Details:
- Pit Lane Start: Hamilton started from the pit lane alongside Gasly, Franco Colapinto, and Lance Stroll, following significant setup changes made to his SF-25 by Ferrari engineers.
- Minimal Progress: Despite the setup adjustments, Hamilton made very minimal progress, crossing the finish line in 17th position, unable to challenge even the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg.
- Driver Feedback: Hamilton was candid about the car's performance, stating, "I don't know how we made the car worse." He described the car as being "really in the wrong direction and very, very difficult."
- Stability Issues: Hamilton specifically pointed to a lack of stability, with the rear end "sliding, snapping a lot." He also mentioned significant "bouncing" when entering corners, alongside "mid-corner understeer" that transitions into snaps.
- Leclerc's Confirmation: Charles Leclerc, whose car remained under parc ferme conditions, also confirmed a dramatic change in the car's feel from qualifying to the Sprint.
- He stated, "From qualifying to today, the feeling has changed completely... I kind of agree with Lewis that today was extremely difficult, to not say worse than that."
The big picture:
The Qatar Sprint's dismal results have deepened Ferrari's woes in the Constructors' Championship. The team now sits fourth, a considerable 63 points behind Mercedes in second place. This gap underscores the urgent need for Ferrari to not only improve their current car but also ensure that their future developments, especially for the 2026 regulations, address these fundamental handling and reliability issues.
What's next:
The team's immediate focus will be to analyze the data from the Sprint to understand what went wrong with the SF-25's setup and performance. The contrasting feedback between Hamilton's modified car and Leclerc's parc ferme car will be critical in isolating the root causes of their struggles. Addressing these issues will be vital not only for the remainder of the current season but also for informing the design and development of future cars, particularly with Hamilton's impending move to the team and Ferrari's "very early" switch to the 2026 car project.