Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve suggests Ferrari is facing significant challenges after a less than ideal start to the 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton, in his first year with Ferrari after moving from Mercedes, and teammate Charles Leclerc experienced a tough qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix, shortly after both faced disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix.
A sprint race win in China was a bright spot for Hamilton at Ferrari. However, both he and Leclerc finished outside the top spots in the Australian Grand Prix and have low point totals heading into the race at Suzuka.
Villeneuve commented, `They know they are in trouble and do not know how to improve. They can see their rivals are improving, so things don`t look promising for Ferrari.`
Hamilton: Qualifying Was Not Good Enough
Hamilton voiced his disappointment with his qualifying performance, admitting it `was not good enough` as he was significantly slower than pole-sitter Max Verstappen.
Red Bull`s Verstappen took pole position ahead of McLaren`s Lando Norris, setting a new lap record at Suzuka with a time of 1:26.983.
Hamilton`s disqualification in China was due to excessive wear on a skid block, which might explain Ferrari`s choice to run their cars with a higher ride height in Japan.
Following qualifying, Hamilton mentioned, `We are running higher than we`d prefer, but it`s the same for everyone.`
He added, `Charles [Leclerc] did a great job. We opted for different setups. I struggled with understeer and couldn`t find the right balance.`
Leclerc: Significant Gap to Top Teams
When asked about ride height affecting Ferrari`s performance, Leclerc responded, `We have other issues, not just ride height specifically. I can`t share too many details.`
He continued, `In qualifying, especially in Q3, we started to lose ground. I experienced both oversteer and understeer, but I was satisfied with my lap.`
`Looking back to Friday practice, I adjusted my driving style, which seemed to improve things and boosted my confidence for qualifying.`
`This is a positive step for the season, but resolving other issues may take longer. There`s still a considerable gap to McLaren and Red Bull, which is our target to close.`
`Overall, it`s been positive as I am feeling more comfortable with the car.`
