IMOLA, Italy – May 18, 2025 – Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, sent shockwaves through the Ferrari camp following a catastrophic qualifying session at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
In his first home race as a Ferrari driver at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Hamilton was left “devastated” after both he and teammate Charles Leclerc were eliminated in Q2, qualifying in 12th and 11th respectively.
The result marked Ferrari’s worst qualifying performance of the 2025 season, a bitter pill for the Tifosi who packed the grandstands expecting a strong showing from the Prancing Horse.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari with high expectations after a storied tenure at Mercedes, did not mince words when addressing the media, including GPFans, post-qualifying. “I’m disgusted, devastated, just gutted,” he said, reflecting on the team’s failure to reach Q3. “We felt like we made progress over the weekend. The car felt better, the balance was good, but when we put on the new tires, there was no grip. Everyone else managed to switch theirs on, and we couldn’t go any faster.” His candid remarks underscored the frustration simmering within Ferrari, a team that has struggled to find pace in 2025 despite high hopes for the SF-25 car.
The Imola weekend was billed as a pivotal moment for Ferrari, with the team introducing a new rear wing and minor aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving handling. However, these changes failed to deliver, leaving Hamilton and Leclerc languishing behind rivals McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. Leclerc echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, declaring Ferrari “P-nowhere” and apologizing to the fans for the team’s lackluster performance. “This hurts,” Leclerc said. “The best we could do was 11th and 12th. We’re sorry for the fans who traveled so far to see us.”
Ferrari’s struggles have been a recurring theme this season. Despite pre-season optimism and a new floor introduced in Bahrain, the team has consistently been the fourth-fastest outfit, trailing McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. Hamilton, who has not finished higher than P5 in a Grand Prix since joining Ferrari, admitted the team’s pace issues are deeper than setup tweaks. “We’ve got to keep pushing, applying pressure,” he said. “I believe the guys can find performance, but we need more upgrades.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur, under increasing scrutiny, downplayed expectations for a quick fix. Reports suggest Ferrari’s planned upgrades for Imola were scaled back to a “small step,” a decision that has drawn criticism given the team’s dire need for a performance boost. With McLaren’s Oscar Piastri securing pole and Max Verstappen in second, Ferrari faces an uphill battle in Sunday’s race on a track notoriously difficult for overtaking.
Hamilton, however, remained defiant, drawing inspiration from the passionate Tifosi. “The support here is magical,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not pressure—it’s passion.” As Ferrari heads into the race, all eyes will be on whether Hamilton and Leclerc can salvage points and restore some pride for the Scuderia in front of their home crowd.
