Pundits react to Hamilton's P18 in Qatar Sprint Qualifying

The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was classified only P18 after a 1:22.043 lap that again exposed the SF-25’s balance and grip problems.

It was Hamilton’s second straight backmarker result after his P20 in Las Vegas Qualifying and it continued a bruising debut campaign with Ferrari that remains winless and podium-less.

Hamilton was curt on team radio and monosyllabic in the media pen. The SF-25 gave him little to fight with in corner entry or rotation and he was nowhere near Charles Leclerc, who managed P9.

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur defended the frustration and said the team had shifted focus to 2026 long ago with an aero freeze that limited meaningful gains.

Across Sky Sports, The Race, Formula1.com and other outlets the reaction was close to unanimous. Analysts believe the deficit is fundamentally a Ferrari problem rather than a Hamilton issue. His P5 in practice on the hard tyre had offered encouragement but the move to softs in SQ1 once again revealed the SF-25’s instability.

Karun Chandhok, who underlined that the balance limitations were visible throughout the lap, said: “On the whole, there was not any obvious mistake from Hamilton but it just did not look like he had a car underneath him where he could attack the entries and attack the corners in the way we would like.”

Vasseur explained that he preferred the drivers to be angry rather than resigned. He said: “I would be more worried if they were happy right now.”

He added that Hamilton had looked promising in practice but that starting P18 creates a recovery ceiling until Ferrari completes “homework” on the setup.

Scott Mitchell Malm noted the bigger picture. He said the SQ1 exit was “not even particularly surprising given how poorly his [Hamilton's] Las Vegas weekend went and how much Ferrari struggled in first practice in Qatar" as he believed the trend reflects a predictable end to a painful year.

Chris Medland called it “another shock early exit” and noted Hamilton’s conclusion that the problems were “the same as always” as he went on highlighting Ferrari’s search for balance and downforce and saying the Sprint Race would effectively serve as a testing session for Hamilton rather than a realistic points opportunity.

Ian Parkes linked the performance to Hamilton’s demeanour. He described a “horror show continuation” and referenced the Ferrari driver’s “monosyllabic and miserable” tone. Parkes saw little hope for points from P18 and suggested Ferrari should prioritise main Qualifying preparation.

Alex Marin analysed team radio and saw “tense moments” that reflected the deeper trend of a “difficult streak.” He said Hamilton’s P18 lap was only marginally better than the backmarkers which increased concerns about Ferrari’s end season form.

David Carter focused on the grip deficit. He highlighted Hamilton’s line “the weather is nice” as a sign of deep frustration and said the SF-25 “lacks everywhere.”

Matt Yousaf pointed to Hamilton’s six-word interview as further evidence of a draining campaign. He reminded readers that Hamilton had already described the year as his “worst season ever” in Las Vegas and said P18 suggests no podium threat in Qatar with Hamilton sixth in the standings and still without a podium in 2025.

Sam Cooper noted Hamilton’s response and called the session a “disaster.” He blamed evolving track conditions and Ferrari’s inability to follow the circuit grip progression, which led to a damage limitation outlook for the Sprint.

Peter Allen placed the performance within the technical regulations. He said the SQ1 exit highlighted the impact of Ferrari’s aero freeze and explained that Vasseur’s early pivot to 2026 had inevitably left the SF25 exposed. He still praised Hamilton’s resilience and backed him to fight in the Sprint.

The consensus is clear. The Ferrari deficit is structural. The single practice session offered too little time to compensate and the SF-25 changed character drastically between hard and soft tyres.

Analysts believe Hamilton can recover to the mid pack but points would require significant attrition. Leclerc’s P9 offers a faint benchmark for what is possible if the car behaves on higher fuel.

This latest setback caps a season that opened with huge hope but has ended with brutal reality. Hamilton remains without a podium, Ferrari lacks direction on setup, and the driver’s adaptation curve has been swamped by the SF25’s limitations.

Pundits expect the internal mood to be tense until Ferrari completes its reset around the 2026 project.

Hamilton enters the Sprint in full damage limitation mode and the wider paddock sees this as one of the most important weekends for Ferrari’s morale before the championship heads to Abu Dhabi for the finale.