Ferrari have become a midfield F1 team and Charles Leclerc’s Qatar Sprint radio proves it

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Ferrari failed to score a single point in Saturday’s F1 Sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc finished 13th, with Lewis Hamilton 17th.

The last time both Ferrari cars were classified in an F1 race without scoring a point was the 2021 French GP. Leclerc fell back from ninth on the grid, while Hamilton couldn’t make any meaningful progress from a pit lane start.

Speaking on Sky Sports before the Sprint, Jamie Chadwick said Ferrari have become a ‘midfield’ team at the end of the 2025 season. They are increasingly likely to finish fourth in the constructors’ championship.

“Most teams stopped development, so OK, they can be excited about 2026, but this year, they are in the midfield,” said Chadwick. “Charles crept into Q3 and was P9 but it’s not anything to get very excited about.”

Charles Leclerc didn’t even ‘mind’ dropping behind Liam Lawson in Qatar Sprint

After unsuccessfully pursuing the Haas of Oliver Bearman, Leclerc found himself battling Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. The Monegasque, who reported a serious imbalance at the rear, ran off the track and Lawson went wide with him.

The New Zealander stayed ahead when they rejoined, and was predictably instructed to return the position. But Leclerc sounded disinterested when he noted the infringement on the radio.

“Position gained out of the track, but I don’t really mind,” he said.

Worst race for four years

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Messages like this confirm that Ferrari have descended into an end-of-season purgatory, unable to fight their traditional rivals and now falling into the clutches of the midfield. Both Leclerc and Hamilton are becoming disengaged as a result.

“The first lap I thought I would destroy the car in the wall,” Leclerc said after the race, highlighting the severity of the rear instability.

Leclerc wanted to silence the rumours about his future this weekend, but results like this will only fuel suggestions that he needs to look elsewhere.

Lewis Hamilton’s brutal Ferrari put-down after Sprint

On the other side of the garage, Hamilton reported similar problems. He was gapped by the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and only gained the position when the Canadian pitted.

“I don’t know how we made the car worse,” Hamilton told Riccardo Adami after the chequered flag.

Ferrari took the opportunity to experiment with Hamilton after his SQ1 exit, but they appear to be further away from a competitive balance before Grand Prix qualifying.

There’s concern at Ferrari over Hamilton’s form, but the Lusail International Circuit is once again exposing the erratic nature of the SF-25.