Sun May 18 14:20:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Lewis Hamilton’s first race for Ferrari in Italy at Imola sees the team struggling after qualifying, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc outside the top 10. Leclerc expresses disappointment, especially at their home grand prix. Hamilton echoes the sentiment, despite feeling the car setup was optimal. Both drivers acknowledge the car’s lack of pace compared to Red Bull and McLaren. Hamilton sees this season as a foundation-building year for future success.

**News Article:**

**Ferrari Struggles at Home Grand Prix as Hamilton and Leclerc Qualify Outside Top 10**

Imola, Italy – Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated first Italian race with Ferrari got off to a disappointing start as he and teammate Charles Leclerc qualified 12th and 11th respectively for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The ‘tifosi’, Ferrari’s passionate fans, were left disheartened after a qualifying session that saw the team significantly off the pace of the leading McLaren driven by Oscar Piastri.

“Very disappointed, especially at home at such a special grand prix for the team, it hurts. It would have hurt anyway at whatever track, but here it hurts even more,” Leclerc admitted, echoing the sentiment of many Ferrari supporters.

Hamilton, despite feeling the car setup was ideal, expressed his frustration, stating, “I feel gutted… we just can’t go quicker.” He acknowledged the performance gap to rivals Red Bull and McLaren, pinpointing their superior speed through key corners.

This marks the second consecutive race where Ferrari has struggled to find additional pace during the final qualifying runs after fitting new tires.

While Leclerc is currently fifth in the drivers’ championship, Hamilton is seventh, with Ferrari trailing leaders McLaren by 152 points in the constructors’ standings.

Despite the current challenges, Hamilton remains optimistic about the future, viewing this season as a crucial foundation-building year for the team. “This is a foundation-building year and getting to grips with everything within the team, making changes that are needed in order to help the team navigate to success long term,” he said. “I have all the faith and belief we can do that.”

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix starts at 14:00 BST on Sunday.

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