Ferrari icon lambasts current regime's lack of leadership in candid verdict
Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has blamed the team's leadership for an abysmal start to the 2025 season. After Lewis Hamilton's P9 finish in the 2025 Bahrain GP qualifying sessions, Di Montezemolo said that the Italian team lacks a proper leader.
The Maranello-based squad has grabbed the spotlight since the beginning of the season. For starters, they signed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in a groundbreaking deal. However, the hype around the move died down as soon as the season began. Hamilton struggled to adapt himself to the SF-25 as the car reportedly has several underlying issues.
The British driver's struggles extended to the qualifying session of the Bahrain GP as he finished only P9 and apologized on team radio. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, however, climbed to P2 after George Russell received a one-place grid penalty.
Meanwhile, as Ferrari continues to go downhill this season, ex-chairman Luca di Montezemolo has raised questions on the team's leadership. Talking to Sky Sports Italia in Sakhir, he said:
“This is a team that at certain times lacks a leader, lacks leadership in the broader sense. Anyway, I am happy that Leclerc starts from the second row, but the race is a different story."
The Italian team embraced a change in leadership in 2023 when Fred Vasseur took over as team principal, replacing Mattia Binotto. Under Vasseur's reign in 2024, the team finished P2 in the constructors championship.
While expectations from this year were certainly high due to Hamilton's addition, Vasseur and co. haven't succeeded in matching the hype so far. In three race weekends, the team collected 35 points to rank P4 in the constructors championship.
For the Bahrain GP, Ferrari has brought a new floor upgrade. However, Lewis Hamilton's and Charles Leclerc's verdict is divided as they feel the performance gain is not enough to challenge the flying McLarens.
Lewis Hamilton explains why he apologized to Ferrari after the Bahrain GP qualifying round
Lewis Hamilton experienced yet another disappointing qualifying session in Bahrain as he finished P9. After the session, he was seen apologizing to Ferrari on the radio. When asked about what led to his apology, he said:
“It was just about my performance, my poor performance. There’s no reason, I’m just not doing the job."
Interestingly, his teammate, Charles Leclerc, had a much better session as he crossed the checkered flag at P3. Moreover, after George Russell received a one-place grid penalty for not following race directives, Leclerc will now start the race from P2.
Hence, the performance gap between Hamilton and Leclerc is clearly visible. The latter has outperformed the seven-time world champion in every qualifying session held this season so far. In his defense, Hamilton previously said that he is still adjusting to the car and learning every day.