Ferrari’s disappointing weekends continue, even in Imola. The Scuderia could not advance beyond Q2 in the qualifying round, much to the disappointment of the home crowd. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton stated afterwards that there was simply no more speed in the SF-25, resulting in them starting the race from the eleventh and twelfth positions respectively. Many critics point the finger at the design team led by Loïc Serra for the issues, but according to team boss Frédéric Vasseur, this is an unjust conclusion.
Ferrari’s worst season start in years not only persists in Imola, but even reached a new low during the qualifying round. The many tifosi present had to watch as both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were out in Q2 at the Scuderia’s home circuit. A strategically clever move by Aston Martin ensured Ferrari’s qualification was over prematurely.
“I’m really devastated,” Hamilton does not mince words after the session. “The car felt good, the setup was fine, the brakes worked, everything was absolutely fine. But still, we didn’t go faster.” The Briton is supported by his equally disappointed teammate. “You can always do a little more with a lap and improve a few things, but we are really nowhere at the moment,” Leclerc tells Sky F1. “There’s not enough power in the car. At the moment, the car simply does not have the potential we were hoping for.”
Serra
This is not the first race weekend where the two teammates have complained about a lack of speed and potential. This has led many critics to ask, who is responsible for this? Many fingers immediately point to Loïc Serra, who started as the new technical director at Ferrari last October.
However, according to team boss Frédéric Vasseur, this is completely unjustified. “When Loïc arrived in Maranello six months ago, the current car was already, let’s say, ninety percent defined. After that, it of course depends on each individual element, but the basic decisions about the design had already been made,” the Frenchman explains to Marca.
In addition, Serra’s arrival is just one of the few changes within Ferrari. “95 percent of the team is the same as the team that participated in the projects for 2023, 2024 and 2025,” Vasseur continues. “I am convinced that if a project has problems, that does not mean that the structure does not work.” The team boss therefore certainly has not lost confidence in his team, although there is a lot of work to be done. “Looking back on this year, we probably made mistakes with the car. We need to do better.”
