Fred Vasseur identifies worrying Lewis Hamilton problem and gives ‘disappointing’ Ferrari qualifying verdict

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Ferrari have the fourth-fastest car on the grid when every driver extracts the maximum potential from their machine over one lap.

McLaren lead the constructors’ championship, but Max Verstappen proved at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he might be the fastest driver individually despite the Red Bull’s limitations.

He beat Oscar Piastri by one hundredth of a second in qualifying to take the 42nd pole position of his Formula 1 career.

George Russell will start in P3 as he continues his brilliant start to the 2025 season, and he’ll be joined by Ferrari star Charles Leclerc on the second row.

Setting the grid for tomorrow, plenty to fight for! 👊 pic.twitter.com/w5Mao6i1nv

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 19, 2025

Leclerc is considered one of F1’s best qualifiers, and he admitted after qualifying that he couldn’t do any more with the SF-25 to try and set a faster time than his three rivals ahead of him.

In stark contrast to Leclerc, his new teammate Lewis Hamilton once again struggled to match the Monegasque driver over one lap.

He squeezed into Q3 by a few thousandths of a second ahead of Alex Albon, but was beaten by his Williams teammate Alex Albon during the final session, and will start the race in Jeddah alongside Yuki Tsunoda in P7.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Fred Vasseur laments ‘disappointing’ Ferrari qualifying pace in Saudi Arabia

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur knows he has a problem to solve as quickly as possible this season, with the Scuderia looking like the least competitive car out of F1’s front-running teams.

Speaking after qualifying, via Gazzetta dello Sport, Vasseur explained: “We’ve been paying three-tenths in the first sector since the beginning [of the weekend] and it went the same way today.

“But anything is possible, we usually do better in the race. We’re always struggling in the first sector, the car’s balance is complicated.

“Lewis was almost nine tenths behind the pole and I think that, not having full confidence in the car yet, he’s struggling a bit on this track so limited by the barriers.

“But in Bahrain, he made a good comeback and we think it can happen tomorrow too.

“I’m disappointed because we’re not here to have a 3 tenths gap, but the race is open. There’s a lot of balance behind the McLarens.”

Reflecting on his own performance, Hamilton added: “It was a complicated qualifying as always.

“This weekend I was nowhere, I wasn’t even able to improve much from session to session, but I’m grateful to have entered Q3, given the level.

“The last lap wasn’t spectacular, but we are making improvements.”

READ MORE: Every head-to-head teammate battle from the 2025 Formula 1 season

Lewis Hamilton failed to match Oliver Bearman’s F1 debut record in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix handed Oliver Bearman his Formula 1 debut in Jeddah last year when Sainz was too unwell to race.

The British teenager secured six points for Ferrari, which is what Hamilton will earn the team if he finishes the race on Sunday where he starts.

Bearman was closer to Leclerc in qualifying last season than Hamilton was this year, which is a worrying sign for the seven-time world champion.

Ferrari are trying to help Hamilton on the team radio, but on a certain as high speed and demanding as Jeddah, implement any meaningful advice is incredibly difficult to do.

It’s now Vasseur’s job to identify how to help Hamilton reach his ultimate potential in the SF-25.

What might be most disappointing for the team is even if he reaches that level, it might not be enough to see him stand on the top step of a Formula 1 podium this year and enjoy the Italian national anthem being played in his honour.