Formula 1 News: Jean Alesi ‘worried’ about Ferrari’s future

(GMM) Jean Alesi (pictured) says Ferrari’s Qatar performance was so poor that it left him “worried” about the team’s direction – while Lewis Hamilton described the race itself as one of the worst he has ever taken part in.

Ferrari’s collapse in form late in the 2025 season – compounded by Hamilton’s own struggles since joining the team – has intensified scrutiny ahead of the rules reset next year.

Alesi, whose only career grand prix win was at the wheel of a scarlet car, did not hide his frustration when speaking to Corriere della Sera.

“We had the worst Grand Prix in my memory in Qatar,” he said.

“I’m worried about the future. The claim that all development was halted to prepare for next year seems like a weak excuse. Ferrari’s stance makes me think of a shameful attempt to justify failure.”

As for Hamilton, he’s been candid about his and Ferrari’s 2025 struggles, but he also criticized the Qatar event itself, calling the 2025 edition a fundamentally flawed spectacle.

“This is definitely one of the worst Grands Prix because everyone was stopping at the same time. There’s no flexibility, and on top of that, you can’t overtake,” he said.

Hamilton said the enforced 25-lap maximum on each tire set made the race “pre-determined”, while the lack of passing opportunities turned it into a procession.

“You know, I don’t want to be a critic, but there was no overtaking last year. I asked, ‘Why not increase the DRS zone?’ and they said, ‘Oh, we hadn’t thought about that.’

“I was like, ‘So what are you doing?'”

Editor’s Note: The FIA is 100% to blame for the lack of passing in the Qatar GP knowing full right well that the DRS zone was too short from previous races.

The Ferrari driver also pointed to an unnecessarily long pitlane configuration.

“The pitstop here takes 26 seconds – the speed limit starts very early. We need to come up with a solution, because – and I hope this gets written – it was hardly a pleasant race to watch.”