Lewis Hamilton’s difficult debut season at Ferrari hit a new low after the seven-time Formula 1 world champion qualified last for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The result marks the first time in Hamilton’s 19-year F1 career that he has finished last in qualifying on pure pace.

Hamilton, known for some of the greatest wet-weather drives in F1 history, struggled dramatically in the rainy conditions throughout Saturday’s sessions. He ended Q1 a staggering 2.301 seconds slower than Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, leaving him rooted to the bottom of the timesheets and visibly frustrated.

Hamilton: “I Don’t Really Have Words For It”

Hamilton did not hide his disappointment, admitting the performance was “not good enough” and pointing to a mix of tyre temperature issues, heavy understeer and a suspected glazed front brake.

“I just couldn’t get temperature into the tyres. I had a lot of understeer and I think one of my front brakes was glazed, so I was really struggling to stop it,” Hamilton said.
“It’s very annoying because in P3 the car felt awesome. I thought it was going to be a great day — and it turned out to be the worst. It can’t get much worse than that.”

The Briton had shown promising pace earlier, finishing fifth fastest in the final practice session — one that began in wet conditions but ended on slick tyres. But when heavy rain returned for qualifying, Hamilton immediately found himself off the pace.

A Nightmare First Season at Ferrari

This latest setback continues what Hamilton has previously called a “nightmare” first season with Ferrari. Both he and Leclerc retired from the Brazilian Grand Prix two weeks ago, and Hamilton is still without a Grand Prix podium for the Scuderia.

His one highlight remains a sprint race victory in China back in March — a moment that now feels like a distant memory amid Ferrari’s ongoing struggles with consistency and car behaviour.

Yellow Flags and Missed Timing Add to Hamilton’s Misery

Hamilton’s final chance to escape Q1 was hampered by yellow flags in the last sector. Forced to lift, he lost crucial time during the push lap he needed most.

He then narrowly missed the cut-off for a final flying lap, crossing the line just one second after the chequered flag.

“I got yellow flags in the last corner and into Turn 17 I had to lift, and when I got to the line there was red.
It’s a shame — the team has done a great job and the car felt great in FP3, but then the rain came.”

A Dramatic Shift from Last Year’s Las Vegas Podium Push

Hamilton finished second at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year — his most recent podium in Formula 1. One year later, he now faces the challenge of climbing through the pack from the very back of the grid.

Meanwhile, title contender Lando Norris starts on pole, adding extra intrigue to Sunday’s race as the championship battle heats up.