Islamabad, 21 April 2025: Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing seventh and trailing teammate Charles Leclerc by over 30 seconds.
The seven-time world champion described the race as deeply frustrating, admitting he had no clear explanation for his lack of pace in the Ferrari.
Hamilton, currently seventh in the drivers’ standings, said the car felt unstable throughout the race, leaving him unable to push.
Despite trying various adjustments and approaches, he found no improvement and expressed concern that the issue might persist in the upcoming races.
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He acknowledged that, unlike in China’s sprint race where he delivered a strong performance, he couldn’t replicate the same level of control or speed in Jeddah.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc produced a strong performance to secure Ferrari’s first podium of the season.
After a well-managed first stint on medium tyres, the Monegasque driver overtook Mercedes’ George Russell to claim third place.
He said Ferrari had extracted everything possible from the car over the weekend but admitted qualifying remained a weak spot.
Leclerc noted that the team’s ongoing struggles during qualifying were costing them crucial race positions.
Though comfortable with the car overall, he stressed Ferrari needed more consistency, especially early in the lap where time was being lost.
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Ferrari entered the 2025 season with hopes of challenging Red Bull and McLaren, but early signs suggest the team is still behind in development.
Leclerc admitted that while the car’s race pace is encouraging, qualifying performance continues to be unpredictable — a pattern that has persisted for the past two seasons.
With the gap to the championship leaders widening, Leclerc warned that Ferrari couldn’t afford to fall further behind.
He emphasised the urgency of addressing their qualifying issues, saying the team must identify and correct its mistakes quickly if it wants to stay in contention.
