Leclerc's Qatar Catastrophe: Ferrari's Constructors Crisis Deepens

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Charles Leclerc has endured an exceptionally challenging weekend at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, marking one of the most difficult stretches of his recent Formula One campaign. According to Formula One's official reporting, the Ferrari driver has struggled dramatically with car performance throughout the Qatar weekend, describing conditions as absolutely horrific and bewildering to both himself and teammate Lewis Hamilton.

During Saturday's Sprint race, Leclerc started from ninth on the grid but experienced numerous off-track moments that saw him tumble back to thirteenth place. He told Sky Sports that the car felt "incredibly difficult to drive" with no clear explanation for what had gone wrong. Despite parc ferme regulations keeping settings identical to qualifying, Leclerc reported that the car felt completely different and significantly worse compared to Friday, with the first lap particularly nightmarish as he struggled to keep the vehicle on track.

The situation deteriorated further during qualifying, where Leclerc managed to reach Q3 but suffered a high-speed spin at Turn 15, ultimately finishing slowest in the final session. Per Formula One coverage, he expressed extreme frustration, stating there was "zero performance in this car" and admitting he was not optimistic about Sunday's race prospects, which is rare for someone he described as normally very optimistic.

Leclerc noted that even maximum effort only yielded tenth place, far short of what the team needed. He also mentioned traffic challenges during qualifying, specifically referencing Carlos Sainz's gap-building strategy before a Safety Car line, which he felt created unnecessary stress for drivers behind.

The broader context shows Ferrari facing a constructive crisis. The team has yet to score a Grand Prix victory in 2025, with their most recent win dating back to Carlos Sainz's 2024 Mexico City triumph. This disastrous Qatar performance has pushed Ferrari further down the standings, now 22 points behind third-placed Red Bull and facing the possibility of finishing fourth in the Constructors Championship.

Despite these setbacks, Leclerc told Formula One that he remains motivated to do something special over the final two weekends of the season. He emphasized that the team remains united despite difficulties, though he acknowledged this has been a particularly challenging campaign requiring significant learning and growth.

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