"That fossil needs to retire": Fans react to Lewis Hamilton's disastrous exit from Q2 at F1 Miami GP

Following the overwhelming result at the 2025 Miami GP Sprint, Lewis Hamilton's main race qualifying turned out to be a disaster as the Ferrari driver faced an exit in Q2. Hamilton, who seemed to be struggling with his car, qualified in P12 for the race on Sunday. As Q2 concluded, fans shared their reactions on social media.

For the first time this season, Hamilton failed to make it to Q2 as he could only manage 1:27.006 on the timesheet. He was nearly four-tenths slower than the driver in P10, Esteban Ocon, and over seven-tenths slower than the driver in P1 in Q2 (Oscar Piastri).

As a result, Hamilton saw himself out of the qualifying, despite churning everything out. Notably, the seven-time world champion complained about Ferrari's pace on more than one occasion, and on Saturday, he indeed lacked pace.

As the Briton went out of the qualifying, fans took to their social media to share their reactions to Hamilton. Here are some of the reactions taken from X:

Reacting to it, a fan wrote, "That fossil needs to retire."

Expand Tweet

"Hamilton can't catch up," another fan wrote.

Expand Tweet

"Move to Ferrari not working for Hamilton," wrote another fan.

"How tf did Lewis get beaten by an Haas?" a fan wrote.

Another fan wrote, "Outqualified by Leclerc again, while Russell is in Q3."

"Damn can’t believe Ham is out," wrote a fan.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull claimed the pole ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris. Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, qualified in P8.

Lewis Hamilton pointed out at Ferrari's pace after Friday's Sprint Shootout

Following the conclusion of Friday's Sprint shootout, Lewis Hamilton pointed his fingers at Scuderia Ferrari's speed. Speaking about this in the post-sprint qualifying interview, here's what the former Mercedes man stated,

Lewis Hamilton (44) of the United Kingdom Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team drives during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

"It was a better session. P1 was probably a bit better, the car was a bit better, the car was a bit nicer to drive. We are just lacking speed but we just keep working from there," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

Besides the pace, Lewis Hamilton is also struggling to adapt to the new Ferrari car, having driven Mercedes for the last 12 years. However, Hamilton would like to take heart from his P3 finish in the sprint and make the most of his time on the track on Sunday.

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas is a passionate motorsport journalist for Sportskeeda, with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. He has over eight years of experience in the field and has over 10000 published articles on the internet.

As a dedicated follower of motorsport, Sabyasachi watches events closely, ensuring his reports are thorough and supported by reputable sources. He is inspired by Max Verstappen’s fearless attitude and dreams of attending the Indian GP if it returns to the calendar. An ardent F1 fan over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel and is now following Verstappen's dominant journey on the track.

Apart from F1, he is a big-time NASCAR and football (also soccer) fan. Sabyasachi supports Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and Spanish club, Real Madrid.

He was a sub-junior level footballer and won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak by nature, Sabyasachi likes to try different cuisines and learn about new cultures. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys soccer, geopolitics, and playing with Khushi & Ubbu - his adorable beagles.

Know More

Edited by Rupesh