Lewis Hamilton admitted he was left “speechless” and frustrated after qualifying last for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, marking the first time in his 19-season Formula 1 career that he has finished a qualifying session slowest on pure pace.

The seven-time world champion, now in his debut season with Ferrari, struggled badly in the wet conditions that began the evening session. Despite historically being one of the best wet-weather drivers in F1, Hamilton could not get the tyres or brakes into the right operating window, leaving him 2.3 seconds slower than teammate Charles Leclerc in Q1.

The result adds to a difficult run for Hamilton, who earlier called his season with Ferrari “a nightmare” following a retirement in Brazil two weeks prior. He has yet to score a podium for the Italian team, though he did win the Chinese sprint race in March.

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“Worst Day of the Year” for Hamilton

Hamilton did not hide his disappointment after stepping out of the car.

“I don’t really have words for it. I just couldn’t get the temperature into the tyres, and I had a lot of understeer. One of the front brakes glazed, so stopping the car became really difficult,” he explained.

He said the frustration was heightened because the Ferrari felt “awesome” just hours earlier in Practice Three, where he finished fifth on a track that began damp but dried enough for slick tyres.

“It’s very annoying, because I thought we were going into qualifying with great pace. Then the rain came, and it turned into the worst day. It can’t get much worse than that.”

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Yellow Flags and Timing Misfortune Add to the Struggle

Hamilton’s Q1 session was messy from start to finish. With the track fully wet and extreme wet tyres mandatory, he battled low grip, poor tyre temperature, and instability under braking.

On his final attempt to escape the elimination zone, Hamilton encountered two yellow flag sectors, forcing him to slow down at a critical moment. He then missed the chance for one final lap, crossing the start-finish line about one second after the chequered flag.

“I got yellow flags coming into the last corner, so I had to lift. Then when I came across the line, the session was already over,” he said.

Hamilton admitted he never felt comfortable:
“It was extremely slippery. The first set of tyres didn’t work, and I struggled to generate any heat. It’s a shame for the team because everyone has been working so hard.”

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A Contrast From Last Year’s Podium at the Same Track

Hamilton finished second in Las Vegas during the 2024 season—his most recent podium in Formula 1. The dramatic difference from one year to the next highlights how unpredictable the wet conditions became and how narrow the Ferrari’s performance window currently appears to be.

With the race expected to take place in dry conditions, Hamilton will face a major challenge climbing up from the back on a street circuit where overtaking is possible but risky.