You know things have gone spectacularly wrong when a rival driver watches you struggle and feels compelled to offer condolences. Welcome to Ferrari’s Qatar weekend, where the Prancing Horse has been reduced to a limping donkey.
When Your Competition Feels Sorry For You
Pierre Gasly, a man who’s spent the season wrestling Alpine’s disaster on wheels, watched Lewis Hamilton during the Qatar sprint and delivered the most damning verdict possible. Not through malice, but through sheer disbelief.
“Pierre came up to me afterwards and he said, ‘It looks so bad’. No shit, Sherlock!” – Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s response says everything. When you’re getting sympathy from someone who drives for Alpine, you’ve officially hit rock bottom. Gasly later confirmed to the media that Ferrari “didn’t look a nice car”. Understatement of the century, Pierre.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But Ferrari Might Prefer They Did)
Eighteenth and tenth in qualifying. Seventeenth and thirteenth in the sprint. These aren’t typos. These are Ferrari’s actual results in Qatar. Charles Leclerc scraped into Q3 by one hundredth of a second, then promptly spun at high speed. Twice, actually. The second run without the pirouette? Still tenth.
Hamilton managed three consecutive Q1 exits. Three. The seven-time world champion has joined an exclusive club with Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella. Not exactly the Ferrari legends you want your name alongside.
The Setup Changes That Made Everything Worse
Ferrari’s solution to their Friday struggles? Start Hamilton from the pit lane with setup changes based on simulator work. Brilliant plan. Except it made the car demonstrably worse. Hamilton’s post-sprint assessment was clinical.
“We implemented those changes and the car was really in the wrong direction and very, very difficult for whatever reason.” – Lewis Hamilton
The SF-25 now slides, snaps, bounces, and understeers. Often simultaneously. It’s a highlights reel of everything you don’t want in a racing car. Hamilton described it as lacking stability, with the rear end “not planted”. Leclerc branded it “incredibly difficult to drive”. Both looked utterly defeated in the media pen.
No Light at the End of This Tunnel
Here’s the kicker: Ferrari stopped developing this car in April. They’ve moved on to 2026, leaving Hamilton and Leclerc to wrestle this uncooperative beast through two more race weekends. When asked about his message to fans, Hamilton went silent. The pause was painful.
“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 wouldn’t have made it through without them.” – Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc, usually the optimist, admitted he’s not looking forward to Sunday. His only hope? Safety cars. That’s what Ferrari has been reduced to: praying for chaos because pace is a distant memory.
The Championship That’s Slipping Away
Ferrari trails Red Bull by 22 points for third in the constructors’ championship. Max Verstappen starts third on Sunday. Ferrari’s best qualifier is tenth. The mandatory two-stop strategy eliminates any tactical creativity. It’s over, isn’t it?
When your own drivers are speechless, your rivals are offering sympathy, and your only strategy is hoping for accidents, perhaps it’s time to admit this season ended months ago. Ferrari switched focus to 2026 back in April. Their drivers are just along for the ride now. What a way to waste Hamilton’s penultimate season.
