Almost poised for a front row start during the Australian Grand Prix qualifying, Scuderia Ferrari ended up suffering a below-par session which saw Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finish seventh and eighth place respectively.
McLaren, were nailed on by other teams as the clear favourites heading into the 2025 Australian GP weekend. However, data from Fridays' practice sessions had suggested Ferrari had the true pace to be competing at the top end over the days to come.
These claims proved unfruitful for the Scuderia, when qualifying finally got underway on Saturday, the Rosso red team were nowhere to be seen at the front of the pack. Both drivers Leclerc and Hamilton, the latters' maiden voyage at the team, were beaten out by a surprise Williams and Racing Bulls car, in the form of Alexander Albon and Yuki Tsunoda.
Throughout Q1, Ferrari looked relatively comfortable and competitive in the session, with Leclerc and Hamilton posting respective lap times of 1m.16.029s and 1m.16.213s. Q2 proved more difficult for the Scuderia, with Leclerc posting the best lap time of the two: 1m.15.827s, which was still roughly four tenths off the pace set by eventual pole-sitter Lando Norris.
During Q3, the final session of the day, Leclerc improved on his Q2 lap, putting in a time of 1m.15.755s, while Hamilton lapped 1m.15.973s, roughly two tenths off the pace of his Monegasque teammate. This was the best the pair could manage, with McLaren duo Norris and Oscar Piastri locking out the front row, and four time World Champion Max Verstappen putting his RB21 right in behind.
Leclerc gave his his post-session take, reflecting on a frustrating start to the season: "The lap wasn't great, all in all, we just didn't have the pace today. We mainly struggled with the balance of the car and putting it all together, so we have some work to do."
"We expect rain and tricky conditions for the race," Leclerc added. "So we will give it everything and see what's possible."
Hamilton, in his very first qualifying session for the Scuderia, echoed his teammates' sentiments: "It isn't quite where we wanted to be but overall I'm satisfied with the progress we have made over the past two days." "We didn't expect to be eight or nine tenths behind pole," Hamilton continued, "but given this is a weekend of firsts for me, I didn't underestimate how steep the learning curve would be. Charles has more experience of course, but I'm building confidence with the car and learning how to unlock it's potential."
"Obviously, we can't be satisfied with today's qualifying result," Team Principal Fred Vasseur said. "We didn't look too bad in Q1 and Q2, as we were one to two tenths off the McLarens." "However, in Q3, we didn't do a good job because we didn't manage to run at the same pace as our opponents and as a result, we find ourselves in positions that do not reflect our true potential," Vasseur added.
"Tomorrow's race could be a completely different scenario, as our pace was good yesterday and the forecast is for rain. The points are handed out tomorrow and we must do a good job now, preparing every last detail. I really believe we have the potential to bring home plenty of points," the team boss concluded.
With rain set to hit the race at Albert Park tomorrow, there is no telling how the final order could stand at the end. Ferrari will be hoping to get the strategies absolutely right, in order to maximise the race pace and ensure a strong start to their 2025 championship campaign.
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