Lewis Hamilton not to blame for Ferrari’s issues as fans blast Qatar Grand Prix ‘downfall’

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton once again has his work cut out to score points after another difficult qualifying session at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton set the slowest time at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in qualifying and has followed that up with two Q1 exits in Qatar.

Ferrari can almost certainly write off finishing second in the constructors’ championship, and Max Verstappen could almost single-handedly drag Red Bull above them in the standings as well.

It’s an embarrassing situation for a team who were one result away from winning the championship last year, and team principal Fred Vasseur admitted that the team stopped working on aerodynamic updates in April ahead of the upcoming 2026 regulation changes.

Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc squeezed into Q3 but was outqualified by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and had a terrifying spin as he tried to push the SF-25 to its limits.

Ferrari fans are passionate and incredibly loyal, and many are not blaming Hamilton for his recent slump, but instead the team’s inability to listen to his and Leclerc’s feedback across the campaign.

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Ferrari fans aim their fury at the team after Lewis Hamilton’s Qatar Grand Prix struggles

When Ferrari announced on X that Hamilton had been eliminated in Q1, the responses weren’t kind.

One fan said: ‘Hamilton joining Ferrari is starting to look less like a career move and more like a slow, televised downfall.’

Another replied: ‘The car isn’t great, but Charles is still managing to qualify. I think it’s the environment and the car. He doesn’t get on well with his race engineer. Think he’s just lost every bit of confidence in the team and the car.’

‘Why was he asking for a double cool? Had you not agreed the run plan in advance?’ responded another fan.

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One reply pointed out: ‘What do you expect when he gives feedback that’s ignored? Lewis is a much better driver than this; we all know it, but Ferrari really needs to step up.’

‘At this point, give Lewis last year’s car; might as well be driving a Ferrari tractor,’ suggested another supporter.

Another fan suggested: ‘It’s painful to watch Hamilton struggling like this. He looks so unhappy at Ferrari. He deserves a much better car than this.’

One response claimed: ‘Is there internal sabotage? There is no convincing that Hamilton, the greatest of all time, has suddenly forgotten how to drive…’, while one person simply said: ‘You nearly lost Charles as well. That car is looking dangerous.’

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Lewis Hamilton shifts the blame away from Ferrari ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix race

Leclerc agreed with Hamilton’s verdict after qualifying in Qatar, with both drivers questioning the car’s suitability to the track.

Speaking in his official post-qualifying media session, Hamilton said: “P18 is a disappointing result and doesn’t reflect the hard work the team has put in over the last two days.

“Clearly, this track doesn’t seem to suit our car, and we’re still working to identify a set-up that meets its needs.

“We’ll keep pushing, analyse the data tonight, and look for every opportunity to put ourselves back in the points tomorrow.”

Karun Chandhok was concerned when watching Hamilton’s onboard camera, with his SF-25 looking very difficult to drive and Leclerc proving that with his Q3 spin.

If either driver does that during Sunday’s race, then it’s game over, but what will upset Ferrari fans the most is their lack of progress across the weekend.

Alpine qualified 19th and 20th for the Sprint Race, but used it as a testing exercise, leading to Pierre Gasly grabbing P9 for the race.

Neither Hamilton nor Leclerc enjoyed a similar improvement, highlighting just how poor Ferrari’s car is right now.