Hamilton "devastated" as Ferrari misses Imola top 10

We are just P nowhere at the moment," Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said after qualifying 11th for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton qualified 12th, marking Ferrari's most disappointing qualifying performance at Imola since the circuit joined the F1 calendar in 1980. Both cars were eliminated in Q2, failing to reach the top 10 at the venue for the first time. Leclerc expressed frustration with the SF-25, stating, "There's not enough performance in the car... we need to be better."

While brake issues from Friday practice seemed to be mitigated, the SF-25 struggled with overall performance and tyre management on the Imola track configuration. Data showed the Ferraris were significantly slower in slower corners compared to rivals like Alex Albon in the Williams, who qualified 10th.

"I feel super gutted, devastated that we weren't able to get through," said Hamilton. "The car was generally feeling better... but when we put the new tyres on, for some reason, it just didn't have any more grip. I couldn't go faster."

Hamilton's second Q2 run was slower than his first, highlighting concerns about the SF-25's ability to 'switch on' the softest Pirelli tyres, a problem that other teams did not face. This is particularly worrying for a car designed to be more benign on its tyres over a race distance.

Ferrari is bringing an upgrade to the Spanish Grand Prix, but Leclerc emphasized the need for it to be a substantial improvement. "It has to be a freaking good upgrade if we want it to be a turning point," he commented, noting the team's past struggles with upgrades delivering expected results or altering the car's balance negatively.

Leclerc concluded, "I can fight as much as I want. I cannot [perform] miracles. This is what there is in the car."