The qualifications of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, on May 17, 2025, marked a low point for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc who failed to go beyond Q2, closing respectively with a disappointing 12th and 11th place. The iconic Italian team, which ran at home, had to face a barrage of criticism from fans and commentators, but it was Hamilton’s behavior after the session that made news. The news of a cold and rude gesture against teammate Leclerc, combined with Hamilton’s activity on social media and the response of the Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, fueled the speculations on the growing tensions inside the team.
Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari after a glorious experience at Mercedes, has struggled to adapt to the SF-25. His performance in qualifying in Imola has been particularly discouraging, marking his lowest starting position since he joined the team. The seven -time world champion expressed his devastation, underlining the hard work of the Ferrari box and the sweet and sour sensation of not having achieved satisfactory results in his first Italian race with the team. Leclerc, equally frustrated, described Ferrari as “p-gnowhere”, underlining the lack of rhythm of the car, especially in the slower curves where rivals such as McLaren and Aston Martin have obtained significant advantages. The session saw both pilots outclassed by the strategic choices of competitors’ tires, with the bet of Aston Martin on the medium tires that pushed Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in the Top 10 at the expense of Ferrari.
After the qualifications, Hamilton’s behavior towards Leclerc has raised a sensation. The witnesses reported a short and tense exchange of jokes in which Hamilton seemed to ignore Leclerc’s attempt to discuss the session, instead opting for a sharp nod of the boss before retiring in the team’s motorhome. This moment, described by some as a “brutal and unpleasant gesture”, contrasted with the previous comments of Hamilton in Miami, where he had minimized the tensions with Leclerc despite the strategic disagreements. The Imola accident intensified attention on their relationship, especially considering Leclerc’s 5-1 advantage in this season on Hamilton.
To throw petrol on the fire, Hamilton’s recent activity on social media has unleashed voices of dissatisfaction. A few days before the Imola race, the forty -year -old pilot stopped following everyone on Instagram, including Ferrari, Leclerc and even the account of his dog Roscoe. He also removed content relating to Ferrari from his biography and canceled several posts, actions that echo his blackout from social media after the controversial Abu Dhabi 2021 Grand Prix. Although Hamilton did not publicly explain these moves, a cryptic post on Instagram that alluded to “focusing on what matters” led fans to hypothesize a break with Ferrari. Some interpret this as a sign of frustration for the team’s disappointing performances, with Ferrari fourth in the manufacturers’ championship, 152 points by the leaders McLaren.
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, faced the situation with measured optimism, recognizing the difficulties of the team but underlining the continuous efforts to improve. “We worked hard by Miami to give Lewis and Charles a competitive car,” said Vasseur, referring to the updates scheduled for the Spanish Grand Prix. He minimized Hamilton’s activity on social media, saying: “Lewis is a professional. He is completely busy with Ferrari and we are focused on achieving results together”. Vasseur also defended the qualification strategy of the team, underlining that the decision to use soft tires was based on the data, while admitting that the performance of the car in the slower curves needed urgent attention.
Imola flask has larger implications for Ferrari’s 2025 season. With a single podium this season – Leclerc’s third place in Saudi Arabia – the team is under pressure to obtain good results in the home races. Hamilton, who before the start of the season had described the transition to Ferrari as a “dream”, admitted that the transition was more difficult than expected. The brake problems, described by both drivers as a “lottery”, afflicted the SF-25, and the team updates in Imola have not been able to fill the gap with McLaren, who dominated with Oscar Plastri’s pole position.
While Ferrari is preparing for Sunday’s race, all eyes are focused on Hamilton and Leclerc’s ability to recover points from their central positions of the grid. The narrow track of Imola makes overtaking difficult, preparing the ground for a demanding Grand Prix. It is not clear whether Hamilton’s gesture against Leclerc was a momentary failure or a sign of a deeper discontent, but it is unlikely that the tension inside Ferrari will calm early. For now, fans can only hope that their team will find the rhythm – and the unit – necessary to overturn the season.
