Leclerc Deplores “Embarrassing” Ferrari Performance, Citing a Seven-Year Wet-Weather Weakness
After a strong showing in the dry practice sessions that saw Charles Leclerc top the timesheets, hopes were high for Ferrari at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix. However, as rain began to fall on the notoriously slippery street circuit, that optimism evaporated, replaced by a familiar sense of despair. Leclerc could only manage a disappointing ninth place in the treacherous qualifying session, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1, starting last. The Monegasque driver did not hold back, labeling the performance « embarrassing » and pointing to a deep-rooted problem with grip in wet conditions that he claims has haunted the team for the past seven years.
A Familiar Story of Frustration
For Leclerc, the dismal qualifying was not an isolated incident but the latest chapter in a long and frustrating saga. Over the team radio, his anger was palpable.
“My god, embarrassing, fing embarrassing,” he exclaimed. “I don’t get how we can be so off the pace… There’s, like, zero grip, zero fing grip.”
Later, speaking to the media, he elaborated that this has been a recurring nightmare since he joined the Maranello outfit in 2019.
“It’s been like that since I joined the team,” Leclerc admitted. “We’ve been struggling massively at finding the grip in those kind of conditions. It’s hugely frustrating because it’s probably been my biggest strength in the junior categories.”
A Perfect Storm in Sin City
The conditions in Las Vegas created a perfect storm that brutally exposed Ferrari’s Achilles’ heel. It was the first time the new Grand Prix had been hit by rain, and the combination of the chilly November air, a low-downforce track layout with long straights, and a « greasy » public road surface created what many drivers, including Max Verstappen and rookie Ollie Bearman, described as some of the « worst conditions ever. »
The track’s layout makes it incredibly difficult to generate and maintain tyre temperature, a critical factor for grip, especially in the wet. For Ferrari, a team that has struggled all season with cars that perform best when run very low to the ground, the higher ride height required for wet conditions appears to exacerbate their issues.
An Unsolved Enigma at Maranello
The most concerning aspect for Leclerc and Ferrari is the team’s inability to understand or solve the problem, despite years of effort.
“We are doing something wrong. I have no idea what that is because we’ve turned the car upside down,” Leclerc confessed.
He noted that the team has tried « absolutely everything » and that even the input from drivers with experience at other teams, such as his former teammate Carlos Sainz and now Lewis Hamilton, has not provided a breakthrough. The car’s behavior in the wet remains « very, very unpredictable, » leading to mistakes and a fundamental lack of confidence.
This persistent failure to find a solution leaves the team vulnerable whenever the skies open, a significant handicap in a championship fight.
Championship Implications
As Ferrari faces the prospect of its first winless season since 2021, Leclerc’s exasperation is understandable. The team’s inability to conquer its wet-weather demons remains a major roadblock. With the 2026 regulation changes on the horizon, solving this seven-year-old problem is not just about salvaging a race weekend; it’s about rebuilding the foundation for a future championship challenge.
Sources
RaceFans. (2025, November 22). Ferrari’s poor wet weather pace ‘has been like this since I joined’ – Leclerc.
ESPN. (2025, November 22). Las Vegas GP: Leclerc fumes at ’embarrassing’ Ferrari qualifying; Hamilton last.
Motorsport.com. (2025, November 22). “We are struggling like crazy” – Charles Leclerc frustrated by Ferrari’s wet F1 pace.
Motorsport.com. (2025, November 22). What was behind F1 Las Vegas GP’s « worst conditions ever ».