PODIUM DROUGHT: P18 THREATENS LEWIS HAMILTON'S CAREER-LONG RECORD
Lewis Hamilton suffers another Q1 exit in Qatar, marking a new low in his "nightmare" debut Ferrari season. An ex-McLaren mechanic points to a crisis of confidence.
Lewis Hamilton had a tough time at the Qatar Grand Prix, getting knocked out in the first part of Sprint Qualifying for the second time this year. He only managed P18.
This also marks the fourth time this season that the 40-year-old hasn't made it past the first stage of qualifying. Twice before, he was out after Q1 during Grand Prix qualifying. In total, Hamilton has failed to reach the final qualifying stage 10 times.
In Las Vegas, Hamilton qualified last due to pace for the first time in his F1 career, after his first Q1 exit of 2025. Now, Sprint Qualifying at the Qatar GP matches his worst qualifying for a 100 km sprint in 2025, equaling his P18 in Belgium.
Back in March, during round two in China, Hamilton won the sprint from pole position. That's his only win in any race format as a Ferrari driver so far. He also took P3 in the Miami Sprint, his second and most recent podium this season.
After 22 of 24 rounds, Hamilton is still waiting for his first Grand Prix podium with Ferrari. The seven-time F1 champion has always managed at least one podium in every season of his 19-year career. Hamilton has described his first year with Ferrari as a nightmare.
He also called 2025 his worst season ever after the Las Vegas GP. Marc Priestley, who worked with Hamilton when he won his first title with McLaren in 2008, believes Hamilton's struggles with Ferrari clearly show a loss of confidence.
Priestley told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra after Hamilton's SQ1 exit in Qatar, It’s really quite sad to see this. We know how talented and experienced Lewis Hamilton is. We also know how much his performance is affected by his emotions and what’s happening around him. When his confidence drops, which it clearly has recently, it really impacts how he performs. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
Sprint Qualifying in Qatar just adds to the problems of Lewis Hamilton's first year at Ferrari.
Sprint Qualifying at the Qatar GP is another low point in what's been a rough debut season for Hamilton as a Ferrari driver in 2025. His sprint win in China feels like a distant memory.
Things have been so bad in 2025 that Hamilton said he's not looking forward to 2026 after his tough time in Las Vegas. With only 152 points from 22 rounds, he's on track for his worst total since the points system changed in 2010, and his confidence has taken a big hit.
There's even talk that Hamilton might not finish his contract with Ferrari. He left Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz on a two-year deal, with an option to stay through the 2027 season.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
