Hamilton Devastated, Leclerc Furious as Ferrari Flops at Imola

Ferrari in Crisis Mode: Hamilton ‘Gutted’ as Leclerc Slams Team After Disastrous Home Qualifying at Imola

Disaster on Home Turf: Ferrari’s Emilia-Romagna Nightmare Leaves Leclerc and Hamilton Reeling

Ferrari’s dream of a glorious homecoming at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix turned into a nightmare after a shockingly poor qualifying session left Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton stranded outside the top 10 — in 11th and 12th place, respectively.

Leclerc didn’t mince words. “We’re basically in P-nowhere,” he said, echoing the disappointment felt by thousands of Ferrari fans packed into the stands at Imola, just 50 miles from the team’s iconic Maranello HQ.

“It’s incredibly painful — especially here. This is our home race, the one that means the most. To deliver a performance like this in front of the tifosi is heartbreaking. It hurts even more than it would anywhere else. Right now, we’re simply not good enough,” the Monegasque added, visibly frustrated after finishing a full second behind pole-sitter Oscar Piastriof McLaren.

Hamilton, new to the team and still adapting, was only 0.161s slower than Leclerc but no less disheartened. “Honestly, I’m devastated,” he admitted. “The car felt good. The setup was where it needed to be. Brakes were strong. Everything seemed aligned… and still, we just couldn’t go faster.”

He continued: “Watching Max fly through Turns 2 and 3 — we’re just not even close. When we bolted on the soft tyres at the end, I expected something. But the grip never came. It was like driving in neutral.”

This marks the second straight race Ferrari has failed to gain performance during the final stages of qualifying, echoing a similar struggle in Miami just weeks earlier.

Hamilton did grab a sprint race win back in China, and Leclerc landed Ferrari’s only podium of the season in Saudi Arabia — but those glimmers of hope are fading fast. With Leclerc fifth and Hamilton seventh in the drivers’ standings, and Ferrari sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship, the team is now a staggering 152 points adrift of championship leaders McLaren.

Still, Hamilton remains committed to the long game. “This year is about building the foundation,” he said. “It’s about understanding the team, implementing changes that will set us up for long-term success. We’ve got to add performance — fast.”

He concluded, “Just watch Max’s rear end — it’s glued to the track. He’s 6-10kph faster than us through some corners. McLaren is up there too. We’ve got serious work to do. But I believe in the people here. I know we can turn this around.”