Lewis Hamilton's F1 team-mate compares Ferrari weekend to 'torture'

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's team-mate compares Ferrari F1 weekend to 'torture'

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have struggled in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 4 December 2025 15:58

F1 star Charles Leclerc described the penultimate round of the 2025 season at the Qatar Grand Prix as 'torture'.

Ferrari have had an awful 2025 season, sat down in fourth in the constructors' championship and without a single grand prix win between their two drivers.

That's despite the fact that the team were just 11 points from championship success in 2024, and added a seven-time world champion driver to their ranks in Lewis Hamilton before the 2025 season started.

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The pace of their SF-25 has left much to be desired, and Hamilton has not been able to get onto a grand prix podium with his new team.

It has led to a feeling that the team cannot wait to get 2025 out the way, and bring in 2026, when new regulations come sweeping into the sport.

That view was voiced by Hamilton recently, who said he is 'excited' for the new generation of cars, which he is hoping will be more suited to his talents than these current cars.

Meanwhile, Leclerc described his weekend last time out in Qatar as 'torture', saying: "I'm happy to be out of the car, I'm happy that this weekend is finally finished."

"It's been torture from FP1 to the race," he continued after last weekend's Qatar GP.

"I have no words to describe how bad this weekend was. Every lap I was doing were good laps and every lap I was doing I was between P10 and P20 which was very disappointing.

"I don't have much to add, I'm just happy that this weekend is over. I think we've got a lot to analyse because to be so far away doesn't make sense and clearly shows that we have done something wrong so we need to work hard."

Will Ferrari improve in 2026?

While Hamilton and Leclerc are seemingly desperate to ditch their 2025 machinery, there is of course no guarantee that the 2026 Ferrari will be any better.

Wholesale regulation changes may well see a shake up of the current competitive order, but it also could lead to more of the same for Ferrari, or even worse.

Leclerc has still managed to claim seven grand prix podiums in 2025, which shouldn't be sniffed at considering quite how dominant both McLarens and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen have been.

Hamilton even revealed recently that he 'wasn't looking forward' to the 2026 season, perhaps a sign that he's not altogether sure whether things will get any better.

Hamilton joined Ferrari hoping to be able to challenge for a record-breaking eighth world championship, while Leclerc is also hoping to soon challenge for a title, having spent seven seasons with the Maranello-based outfit and not having seriously mounted a challenge of his own.

The Scuderia's driver duo now have just a single grand prix left in 2025 to try and end the season on a high, with this weekend's Abu Dhabi GP the final chance for Hamilton to make it onto the grand prix podium this year.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qatar Grand Prix