Ferrari endured a frustrating Saturday at the 2025 Formula 1 Australian GP, as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could only secure P7 and P8, respectively, in qualifying. Despite showing early promise, the team struggled to maintain pace as the session progressed.
Leclerc struggled to drive the car in Australian GP Qualifying
Leclerc initially looked competitive, setting a time of 1:16.029 in Q1, just a tenth behind Lando Norris. However, as other teams made significant improvements, Ferrari’s progress stalled. By the end of Q3, Leclerc had only managed to improve by three-tenths to a 1:15.755, while Norris gained almost a full second. This drop in performance left him seventh on the grid, behind surprise performers Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon.
Speaking to the media, the Monégasque driver explained how the SF-25 became increasingly difficult to handle as he pushed harder in the final phase of qualifying:
“Yeah, as soon as we started to push the car, we found more and more inconsistency, which was a bit of a shame.”
“We lost a little bit of pace throughout qualifying. Q1 we were good, Q2 a little bit less good, and in Q3 we had to push a lot to try and make the lap time.”
“But we didn’t really follow the track for some reason, so we’ve got to look into it and maximise tomorrow.”
Ferrari’s set-up changes backfire in Melbourne
Following a strong showing in FP2, where Leclerc topped the timesheets, Ferrari made changes to the car that ultimately did not yield the expected results.
“I think we’ve lost relative competitiveness compared to yesterday, which we know what we’ve changed, so we’ll have to look into it for sure.”
“But other than that, I don’t know.”
Sector 3 struggles cost Ferrari
One of Ferrari’s biggest weaknesses in qualifying was the final sector, where Leclerc lost nearly three-tenths to the rapid McLarens. Even Hamilton, in his first qualifying session for Ferrari, was two-tenths quicker in that sector.
Leclerc attributed part of the issue to tyre overheating but remained calm despite the disappointing result.
“Not yet [sure why Sector 3 was so poor], but I think tyres are also where, in the last sector, you have the most overheating. And I was struggling with it today a lot more than I did yesterday. So this is something that we’ll look into.”
“But as I’ve said many times before coming here, it’s only the first race of the season, and it’s only a starting point. It’s going to be a very long season.”
“We’ve just got to stay calm, maximise points tomorrow, whatever that may be, and work from there.”
“I think this car has a lot of potential, but for now, we don’t seem to be in the right window, so we’ve got to find it.”
SF-25 not more difficult to drive than SF-24
Despite the struggles, Leclerc denied that the new SF-25 was inherently more challenging to handle than last year’s SF-24. Ferrari had secured a 1-2 finish in Melbourne in 2024, making the drop in form this year particularly concerning.
“I don’t think so.”
“Before that, I had no signs of this. Until now, I would say no. We’ve got to wait and see.”
“Today was particularly difficult in Q3, especially.”
When asked if the car’s performance window was too narrow—an issue that plagued the SF-24—Leclerc remained cautious:
“I wouldn’t conclude that yet.”
“But in Q3, again, as a matter of fact, it was very difficult.”
Leclerc’s expectations for the race
Leclerc also revealed that Ferrari’s set-up leaned more towards qualifying performance rather than race pace, which could be problematic given the expected rain for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“I think both are going together.”
“But obviously tomorrow, having the rain, I would say we are a bit more on the quali pace, which means that it’s not a great job today.”
Is a podium for Leclerc possible at the Australian GP?
Despite the underwhelming qualifying, Leclerc remains optimistic about his chances in the race. Wet weather performance has been a weak point for Ferrari in recent years, but the team has been working to address this deficiency.
“It’s going to be interesting. I think many people, everybody is going into a complete unknown, and nobody has done one lap in the rain with these cars.”
“So lots to learn, and I hope we’ll be on the good side of things and can take back what we lacked today.”
“That’s the target [going for a podium]. Whether it’s going to be possible […] we’ve been up and down in the past in the rain; we’ve put a lot of attention and work into trying to get the tyres in the right window all the time.”
“Let’s see if we manage to do so.”
Focusing on McLaren as Ferrari’s main rival
In a surprising twist, Ferrari was outqualified by Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Alex Albon, who secured P5 and P6, respectively. However, Leclerc downplayed their significance, believing that Ferrari’s true pace is closer to McLaren’s.
“I hope we are fighting closer to McLaren. The feeling is that we are closer than what happened just now.”
“Just in Q3, we lost our balance, we lost the window. When the gaps are so tight, it’s very difficult to put a lap together as a driver.”
“I think the gaps today are bigger than what they should be.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged how unforgiving modern F1 is, where even a minor drop in performance can be costly.
“This for sure. This is a good thing for F1. We’ve got to be on it.”
Ferrari will have to work hard to analyse their struggles and come up with a strategy for the race. With rain in the forecast, unpredictable conditions could provide an opportunity for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to climb the order. However, they will need to execute flawlessly if they are to challenge for the podium in Melbourne.
Feature Image Credit: Scuderia Ferrari HP
