Formula 1, Sportrik Media – Lewis Hamilton dropped a surprising statement after yet another Q1 elimination at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix: his SF-25 "felt better" than at any point this weekend, despite qualifying 18th — his third consecutive Q1 exit for the first time in 16 years.
This marks Hamilton’s third straight Q1 knockout (Las Vegas, Qatar Sprint, Qatar GP) — a streak not seen since Monaco-Turkey-Britain 2009. Radical downforce-adding changes by Scuderia Ferrari left the car on the absolute "ragged edge", yet Hamilton insists the feeling improved. Deeper analysis reveals Ferrari bolted on maximum front and rear wing after the nightmare sprint, but the 2025 package remains frozen while rivals like McLaren and Red Bull continued developing until the season’s end.
“We made changes, and the car felt better,” Hamilton told media including RacingNews365. “Early in the session, it was looking pretty decent, but I just didn’t get the last lap. You saw in the Sprint, there is no overtaking, so I’ll try something different with the strategy. [We are lacking] stability, we’re obviously lacking downforce compared to the others because we haven’t developed, so the car is on the ragged edge and [we need] a bit of luck.”
His full quote underlines guarded optimism: “We made changes, and the car felt better. Early in the session, it was looking pretty decent, but I just didn’t get the last lap. You saw in the Sprint, there is no overtaking, so I’ll try something different with the strategy. [We’re lacking] stability, we’re obviously lacking downforce compared to the others because we haven’t developed, so the car is on the ragged edge and [we need] a bit of luck.”
The consequences are brutal: starting P18 on a track where only two overtakes occurred in the entire sprint makes points almost impossible. Teammate Charles Leclerc in P13 means another potential double blank for Ferrari. Under Fred Vasseur, all development focus has shifted to 2026, leaving the SF-25 frozen since mid-season.
Hamilton’s race strategy will likely be ultra-aggressive: soft start, two-stop, or extreme one-stop banking on a safety car the only realistic path to points. With a car on the ragged edge, the risk of DNF or incident is equally high.
Hamilton’s debut Ferrari season already dramatic now risks ending without a podium in the last five races. Yet his claim that the car "felt better" hints he is finally clicking with the 2025 package, a positive sign for 2026.
Baca Juga
Empat pria ditangkap terkait perampokan terhadap Willi Weber, mantan manajer Michael Schumacher, dalam operasi internasional.
Red Bull Racing perpanjang kemitraan titel dengan Oracle hingga 2030 jelang era regulasi baru Formula 1 2026.
Pirelli umumkan Mario Isola tinggalkan F1 jelang musim 2026, Dario Marrafuschi ambil alih unit motorsport.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!