Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult outing in Qatar, failing to score a single point across the race weekend for the third time this season. The 2025 campaign has developed into a major disappointment for Scuderia Ferrari, who are now mathematically locked into fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, unable to catch Red Bull or Mercedes with just one round remaining.
Following earlier scoreless weekends in Hungary and the Netherlands, Lewis Hamilton faced yet another setback at the Qatar Grand Prix. His form in qualifying reached an alarming level, as he found himself outside the top 15 for the third successive session — a run he had not experienced since 2009. He was unable to progress beyond Q1 in both the Sprint Shootout and the Grand Prix qualifying, and despite pushing throughout the race, he could climb no higher than twelfth in a contest dominated by a long midfield DRS train that left drivers with little chance to make meaningful gains.
After the race, journalist José M. Zapico observed behaviour from Lewis Hamilton that reminded him of the closing chapter of Michael Schumacher’s Formula 1 career. The gestures, expressions, and visible frustration mirrored the way Schumacher appeared during his final seasons at Mercedes. With new regulations arriving in 2026, Hamilton may have just one final opportunity to silence such comparisons.
Hamilton reportedly issued a warning to Ferrari after the race, as concerns grow that the team could already be falling behind in preparations for next year. Under Frédéric Vasseur’s leadership, Ferrari have done little in 2025 to reassure their supporters that the upcoming season will bring improvement, a situation that is only likely to intensify the frustrations of both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc.
Zapico commented on social media that Hamilton carried the same worn-down look that Schumacher once displayed — a blend of helplessness, confusion about the team’s lack of competitiveness, and a sense of declining results while teammates or rivals outperform expectations. The journalist described the situation as a painful parallel for a seven-time world champion.
One radio exchange during the race summed up Lewis Hamilton’s mood regarding both the Qatar Grand Prix and the campaign as a whole. As he entered the pit lane for his second stop, he expressed clear dissatisfaction with the unfolding race situation, while his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, responded with a short acknowledgement that reflected the shared disappointment within the Ferrari garage.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, managed only eighth place after starting inside the top ten, finishing behind Fernando Alonso and only staying ahead of Isack Hadjar due to a late puncture for the Racing Bulls driver. This result further illustrated the extent of Ferrari’s decline in the latter half of 2025 and highlighted that Hamilton cannot be solely blamed for the ongoing struggles of the SF-25 package.
In his post-race media debrief, Hamilton outlined how the team made a positive opening to the race, gaining positions early on. However, the Safety Car intervention worked against him, costing him two places due to the double-stack pit stop with Charles Leclerc. From that point onwards, he found himself locked in a DRS train on a circuit where overtaking remains extremely limited, reducing any opportunity to recover into the points. He stated that the team’s focus now shifts to Abu Dhabi in the hope of ending a difficult season on a more encouraging note.
Despite growing internal frustration at Maranello, Hamilton has dismissed speculation that he might consider stepping away from Formula 1 at the end of the season. For now, Ferrari supporters remain largely sympathetic, recognising the limitations of the current car. However, that patience may be tested in 2026 if Leclerc’s form improves and Hamilton finds himself unable to match the performances of his younger teammate.
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