Former F1 driver and current commentator, Jolyon Palmer, has unleashed a scathing criticism towards Ferrari’s race execution, blaming it for their lackluster performance in the 2025 season. Despite the SF25 showcasing strong pace, as highlighted by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during Friday practices at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the weekend spiraled into chaos. Leclerc crashed in qualifying, Hamilton faced a surprising elimination in Q2, starting 10th and 12th on the grid, ultimately finishing 8th and 9th. Palmer asserts that these “catastrophic” weekends, where a car capable of finishing in the top five falls short, have been a recurring theme for Ferrari this year.
Palmer notes that Ferrari’s car still holds a technical edge over Mercedes in many situations, and summer improvements, including enhancements to the suspension and underbody, have boosted performance. However, mistakes such as wrong tire choices, traffic issues, track limit infringements, or driver errors continue to thwart the team from converting pace into results.
“There have been a few weeks where I’ve backed Ferrari, and now I’m going to back them a little less after some false promises,” Palmer stated on the F1 Nation podcast. “I still think they have a better car than Mercedes, but their execution is not there. Monza was reasonably good; they probably finished where they deserved. But in Baku, we have Hamilton on used soft tires attempting a pass in Q2 and he goes off, then Leclerc hits the barriers in Q3, and they end up 10th and 12th on the grid. That is far from what that car should have been capable of. That seems to be a bit of the story of Ferrari’s season.”
Before Singapore, Palmer believed Ferrari should outperform Mercedes but reconsidered after reviewing last year’s results where Ferrari qualified 10th and 9th on the grid. Carlos Sainz had an accident, and Charles Leclerc couldn’t set a lap time due to exceeding track limits at Turn 2. This scenario seemed typical of Ferrari at a circuit where they should excel. The logic dictates they will bounce back, perform well at low speeds, better than Mercedes, but they need to deliver on that potential.
Palmer warns that given Ferrari’s track record of underperforming when it matters most, predicting a dominant weekend is risky. He also reflected on the irony of Carlos Sainz securing a podium in the Williams while Hamilton has yet to do so in the Ferrari, underlining the unpredictability and frustration that have defined the Scuderia’s season.
“There’s a certain level of irony in Sainz getting a podium this year and Hamilton not. I really thought Baku would be Hamilton’s moment. They ended Friday in first and second, and I thought, ‘this is going to be my genius prediction, finally Ferrari is going to win,’ but there’s always something amiss with them. Both drivers showed great form in Singapore. The circuit is as close as it gets to Monaco, low-speed, and they qualified second and fourth. The car has also made significant strides over the summer, with improvements to the suspension and underbody. Obviously, everyone else is evolving too.”
The criticism from Jolyon Palmer sheds light on Ferrari’s struggles and the urgent need for the team to address their race execution if they aim to challenge for the championship in the upcoming seasons.