Israel has accepted a 60-day ceasefire agreement, according to President Donald Trump, but he did not provide specifics about it. Hassan demanded security guarantees as well as a full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Next week, Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Your questions have been a BBC Sport topic since Wimbledon 2025 first became available.
Hundreds of you have been in touch and we’ve picked out some of the best to take a look at.
John in Bedford
Even though ballot tickets for the 2025 Championships had already sold out months prior, there were still plenty of empty seats in the Center Court and Court One stands. Why ?
Wimbledon operations manager Michelle Dine spoke to BBC Sport on Tuesday.
There are a lot more people scurrying around the grounds, she said, “because it was so hot.”
“We’re constantly sending out reminders to people to get water.” So maybe there were a few more people that were off court just trying to find some shade and take a bit of a break”.
Play begins at 11am and can run for 12 hours. Some fans may not have time to spend the entire day at SW19; however, travel plans may prompt some to arrive before the game ends or to leave before it ends.
Russell in Frome
A custom that dates back to the late 19th century involves men playing best-of-five matches and women playing only three.
Best-of-five matches were held when the men’s singles competition at Wimbledon first took place in 1877. When the women’s singles followed in 1884, they played best-of-three-set matches because of a perception they had less stamina.
Lancashire’s Zac
Tennis balls are made of a hollow rubber core, filled with pressurised air, with compound felt cover comprised of cotton, nylon and wool.
That hasn’t, however, always been the case.
The first rubber balls were created in the middle of the 20th century when modern lawn tennis first started to take shape. Wear and tear to the outside of the rubber eventually led to efforts to create a protective covering.
Owen in Manchester
Depending on the color of the court, tennis balls were once either black or white.
When David Attenborough, the most well-known naturalist in the world, took over control of BBC Two in the beginning of his television career.
However, it was frequently difficult to distinguish the white lines of the court from the white ones, and it was difficult to tell whether or not shots were coming in or out.
Attenborough suggested a change of colour to something more visible. The International Tennis Federation conducted a number of tests to determine the color ball’s clearest spot, eventually coming up with fluorescent yellow.
Robert in Brixton
Before serving, tennis players typically take three balls from the ball crew.
They will generally give one back, put one in their pocket, and keep hold of the third. The pocket serves as a buffer between the second and third serves, allowing for the player to continue playing without having to hand the player a second ball.
Players typically evaluate the three balls by sight and touch before choosing which to keep and which to give back when holding them. They do so in order to try to gain an advantage.
The inside of a tennis ball loses air pressure as a result, and the outside becomes more frayed.
A ball with a high air pressure and smooth exterior will move more quickly through the air, making a quick first serve preferable.
Meanwhile, a ball which has slightly less air pressure and more frayed exterior can be more suitable for a slower serve with more spin, making them potentially useful for the second serve.
Beth in Essex
In each of the four Grand Slam draws, there are 32 seeds for men’s and women’s singles. The ranking of players in the lead-up to the tournament determines seeding. For the 2025 edition, the cut-off date was 23 June.
This is accomplished by the men’s singles players using their ATP Tour rankings. The WTA Tour rankings are used for the women’s singles. Players are seeded in the order in which they rank.
Casper Ruud, Arthur Fils, and Sebastian Korda would all have qualified this year, but they all withdrew because of injury. As a result, Alex Michelsen, Tallon Griekspoor and Matteo Berrettini were seeded 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively.
Craig in Wrexham
The All England Club announced an 11pm curfew for Wimbledon games in 2009, the same day as the roof of the Centre Court was unveiled.
The curfew was put in place to “balance the consideration of local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area.”
Cumbria’s Becky
Players apply sun cream before matches, and may do so again during changes of end.
Rainer in Oxford
When a shot is hit out of play or a player breaks on a serve, line calls can now be heard at Wimbledon thanks to line judges.
Players and fans complained that bellows line judges’ loudspeakers were ineffective when called into action.
Jack and Sarah are both from Nottingham and Sarah is from Derby.
The cream used in the classic Wimbledon snack is double cream, which is sourced from British dairies.
Alternatives that are vegan are also present.
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. These question were submitted by Chris in Sutton Coldfield, Heidi in Leeds, Zac in Lancashire, David in Chesterfield, Beth in Essex, Sarah in Derby, Craig in Wrexham, Cumbria’s Becky, Angela in Chichester, and Lorna in Oxfordshire. Thanks, all!
We want to reward your time by educating you on topics you may not otherwise understand.
The team uses a network of contacts, including our experts and experts, to explore everything you need.
We answer your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and go behind the scenes at some of the world’s biggest sporting events.
The Dalai Lama confirmed on Wednesday that he will have a successor to carry on the role of spiritual leadership to Tibetan Buddhists, in a statement issued during continuing celebrations to mark his 90th birthday.
He said that leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan parliament and government in exile, both of which are in the Indian district of Dharamshala, and Buddhists from around the world, including mainland China and Tibet, had written to him, requesting that the institution continue.
“In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said.
His statement, issued at a time when Buddhist scholars and revered monks from around the world have converged on McLeodganj town in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives, to participate in the 90th birthday celebrations. The town, also known as “Little Lhasa” because it is in effect the capital of Tibetan Buddhists in exile, will also host an intense three-day religious conference that the Dalai Lama will preside over.
But the occasion isn’t only religious. How the next Dalai is chosen, and by whom, carries deep geopolitical significance.
For centuries, Tibetan Buddhist leaders have chosen and enthroned a new Dalai Lama only after an intense quest and subsequent schooling after the incumbent passes away. If the current Dalai Lama, the 14th, offers any more details in the coming days about how his successor might be chosen, or whom it might be, that would represent a dramatic break with tradition.
What he says, and doesn’t say, will be closely watched in Washington, New Delhi and Beijing.
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fled Tibet for India in 1959, is seen as a separatist by Beijing. India, as his host for 66 years, has deep stakes in the future of the institution of the Dalai Lama, who has known every Indian prime minister since the country gained independence. And the United States, which has long cited the Tibetan movement in exile as evidence of China’s human rights excesses, will want to make sure that the glue that binds it all – the institution of the Dalai Lama – continues.
So, who will choose the next Dalai Lama? Can the incumbent Dalai Lama stump the Chinese government? And could there be two Dalai Lamas?
Choosing the next Dalai Lama, who will be enthroned as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, is a process rooted in centuries-old traditions, spiritual beliefs, and rituals.
Traditions consider the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and each Dalai Lama is believed to be the successor in a line of reincarnations.
Traditionally, the search for the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation typically begins after a period of mourning. High-ranking lamas (spiritual leaders) form a search committee to identify the next Dalai Lama, based on signs such as the direction of the smoke blowing from his cremation, the direction where he was looking when he died, and oracles’ visions, including at Lhamo Latso, a lake considered holy in Tibet.
Once potential candidates are identified, they undergo a series of tests to confirm their identity as the reincarnation. Candidates are usually young boys born at about the time of the previous Dalai Lama’s death. But the current Dalai Lama has said that there is no reason why a woman cannot be the next reincarnation.
After a candidate is chosen, the child begins a rigorous education in Buddhist philosophy, scriptures and leadership responsibilities, preparing them to assume the role of both a spiritual and, historically, political leader of the Tibetan people.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama, was born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farming family in a region now in Qinghai province. He was identified as a reincarnation when he was barely two years old.
After the death of the 13th Dalai Lama, the search party concluded a four-year-long quest after the toddler identified belongings of his predecessor with the phrase, “It’s mine, it’s mine.” While the majority of Dalai Lamas have been born in Tibet, one was discovered in Mongolia, and another in a region that today lies in northeastern India.
In March 1959, after a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese control, the Dalai Lama fled Lhasa in disguise, crossing the Himalayas on horseback and foot, eventually reaching India on March 31 that year. Nearly 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in different parts of India today, the community’s largest exile population.
His escape marked the end of traditional Tibetan governance and the beginning of a life in exile, from where he led the Tibetan struggle for autonomy.
Addressing a beaming crowd of followers and monks in McLeodganj on Monday, June 30, the Dalai Lama, clad in his traditional red robes and yellow scarf, said: “As far as the institution of the Dalai Lama is concerned, there will be a framework for it to continue.
“I think I have been able to serve the Dharma and sentient beings and I am determined to continue to do so,” he added, noting that at 90 years old, he feels “physically healthy and well”.
He has also hinted about where to look for the next Dalai Lama. Noting that the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the 14th Dalai Lama wrote in his book, Voice for the Voiceless, published in March 2025, that “the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world”.
In effect, that has meant that the Dalai Lama has decreed that the reincarnation would not be in China or China-controlled Tibet. He had earlier said that his incarnation could be found in India.
For Tenzin Jigme, a 39-year-old who lives in McLeodganj and works with the Tibetan government-in-exile, the mere thought of the Dalai Lama passing away is heavy. His voice broke as he said, “We live in a free world because he led us here.”
“For all of us, living as refugees, His Holiness Dalai Lama is a fatherly figure,” Jigme told Al Jazeera. “We need his reincarnation; look at the world, we need someone to teach us compassion.”
The 14th Dalai Lama has suggested in the past that there may not be a successor at all.
In 2011, he said that when he turned 90, he would consult his fellow lamas and the Tibetan public and “re‑evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not”.
In 2014, during a visit to the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome, the then-79-year-old spiritual leader said that whether another Dalai Lama would be enthroned after him would depend on the circumstances after his death and was “up to the Tibetan people”.
“The Dalai Lama institution will cease one day. These man-made institutions will cease,” the Dalai Lama said in an interview with the BBC. “There is no guarantee that some stupid Dalai Lama won’t come next, who will disgrace himself or herself. That would be very sad. So, much better that a centuries-old tradition should cease at the time of a quite popular Dalai Lama.”
Dibyesh Anand, a professor of international relations at the University of Westminster and the author of Geopolitical Exotica: Tibet in Western Imagination, said the institution of the Dalai Lama will face immense uncertainty in the coming decades.
But, he said, “the history shows that this institution has been more protean and resilient than politically power-based states.”
Subsequent exiled Dalai Lamas “will not have political power in conventional sense”; however, the institution will remain “symbolically the heart of the Tibetan nation and the most respected authority in Tibetan Buddhism,” he said.
China insists that only its government has the authority to approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, treating it as a matter of national sovereignty and religious regulation. This position was cemented in a 2007 law, which mandates that all reincarnations of Tibetan “living Buddhas” must be approved by the state and must follow Chinese laws, religious rituals and historical precedent.
Chinese officials have repeatedly stated that the next Dalai Lama must be born inside China, and any foreign-born or exile-appointed successor would be considered “illegitimate”.
A key element of China’s proposed process is the Golden Urn system, an 18th-century Qing Dynasty method in which the names of candidates are placed in a golden vessel and one is selected by lot.
The current Dalai Lama doesn’t favour this method, arguing that it lacks “spiritual quality”.
In March 2015, then Tibet Governor Padma Choling accused the Dalai Lama of “profaning religion and Tibetan Buddhism,” adding that the Dalai Lama was trying to usurp Beijing’s right to decide.
“If he says no reincarnation, then no reincarnation? Impossible. Nobody in Tibetan Buddhism would agree to that,” said Choling.
While talks over finding the next Dalai Lama traditionally occur after the death of the incumbent one, the Chinese position has left monks and Tibetans in exile worried that Beijing might try to hijack the institution.
The centrality of the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan national movement and his stature as a global icon is an irritant for Beijing, said Anand, the professor.
“This is a battle over legitimacy and not actual rule over territorial Tibet. Beijing seeks to win that battle of legitimacy but faces an institution and person in the 14th Dalai Lama that is beyond its control,” he told Al Jazeera.
Robert Barnett, a scholar of modern Tibetan history and politics and founder of Columbia University’s Modern Tibetan Studies Program, said that some “Chinese strategists see the succession issue purely as an opportunity to frustrate the exile project”.
Another reason could be the Chinese leaders’ anticipation of another plausible Tibetan uprising. It helps Beijing to “have a ‘tame’ Dalai Lama to dissuade Tibetans from protest,” Barnett told Al Jazeera.
Yes. In 1995, the Dalai Lama recognised a young boy in Tibet as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama – the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. He was a six-year-old, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the son of a doctor and a nurse from the Tibetan town of Naqchu.
Soon after, Chinese authorities took the boy into custody and relocated the family. Their whereabouts are not known since.
In his place, Beijing appointed its own candidate, a move widely rejected by Tibetan Buddhists in exile and many inside Tibet, who view the Chinese-selected Panchen Lama as illegitimate.
The disappearance of the Panchen Lama in 1995 was a turning point in Chinese-Tibetan political history, said Barnett.
“The Chinese side decided that it has to control not just which child should be chosen, but whether a lama can reincarnate, where he or she can reincarnate, who should search for them,” he said. The Chinese were clear that the Dalai Lama needed to be excluded from the process.
That episode is a key reason why the current Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile are opposed to the selection of any future reincarnation inside China, including Tibet. The chosen child might simply be abducted, as happened 30 years ago.
Anand said that China’s goal is to dishearten and divide Tibetans. “If [China] cannot achieve it through winning hearts and minds, they’d do it through divide and rule, and this is how we should see the battle over reincarnation,” he told Al Jazeera.
Tibet observers and scholars believe that after the 14th Dalai Lama’s death, Tibetan Buddhists might well find a scenario where two rival successors jostle for legitimacy – an exiled leader, appointed by the lamas faithful to the incumbent Dalai Lama, and one appointed by the Chinese government.
It would be unprecedented in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, but “is highly likely to occur,” said Barnett.
While the reality of two Dalai Lamas may not matter to exiled Tibetans from a religious perspective, it “makes life very difficult for Tibetans inside Tibet who will be forced in huge numbers to publicly declare their loyalty to China over and over again”.
Barnett noted that Beijing could also use the succession issue as leverage to get foreign governments to marginalise organisations of Tibetans in exile in those countries.
Anand said that Beijing’s insistence on its candidate “will be a source of instability in China-Tibetan relations” and “may come back to haunt the Chinese Communist Party”.
In an interview in March 2019, the Dalai Lama acknowledged that following his death, there could be two rival Dalai Lamas. “In future, in case you see two Dalai Lamas come, one from here, in free country, one chosen by Chinese, then nobody will trust, nobody will respect [the one chosen by China],” he said.
“So that’s an additional problem for the Chinese! It’s possible, it can happen,” the Dalai Lama added, laughing.
It is, mainly for India and the United States.
For India, which hosts the Tibetan government-in-exile, the succession of the Dalai Lama intersects with national security and its fraught border relationship with China.
New Delhi will want to carry on giving hospitality and refuge to the Dalai Lama and his followers, said Anand. He added that the “Tibetan exiles in India offer a leverage and buffer to India vis-a-vis China’s influence in the Himalayan region”.
The US’s interest in Tibet dates back to the Cold War era, when the CIA backed Tibetan resistance against Chinese occupation, in the 1950s, including after the Dalai Lama’s exile.
Washington has long shown bipartisan support for the religious autonomy of Tibetan Buddhists, including in choosing the next Dalai Lama.
In 2015, when China claimed authority to select the next Dalai Lama, US officials publicly rejected this, asserting that Tibetan Buddhists alone should decide. The most forceful position came in 2020 with the passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) under President Donald Trump.
The new US position explicitly supported the Dalai Lama’s right to determine his own reincarnation and authorised sanctions on Chinese officials who interfered in the process.
We’ve already seen a lot of stars and celebrities playing tennis on the sidelines of Wimbledon’s first week. We personally believe that the Wimbledon outfits from this year were just as thrilling as the competition, and we are already making plans for our very own courtside looks, even if we won’t be watching on television.
One accessory has caught our attention since it first launched, making it perfect for your Wimbledon strawberries and cream. This adorable Joe Browns Sweet Strawberry Bag is a must-have for any tennis-themed outfit. It’s now available for less than £50.
READ MORE: In a white maxi dress that “fits all shapes,” Molly-Mae is hailed as a ” Wimbledon lady.”
READ MORE: Rochelle Humes’ courtside chic appearance is a few examples of Wimbledon’s best-dressed celebrities
The Sweet Strawberry Bag is ideal for adding a little fun and joy to a plain tennis whites outfit thanks to its woven basket-style design, which promotes instant picnics in the sun. However, you can carry it wherever you go on a fun daytime trip, whether it’s to a summer wedding or a garden party.
It has a bright red wicker outer with tiny ribbons woven through it to give it a vintage-inspired feel. The “stem” of a strawberry is actually the fastening, which has two press-stud-style faux leather straps and green faux leather details on the top that give the appearance of leaves.
It has a surprisingly large interior with a handy inside pocket for storing your belongings. You can use it on your shoulder or as a cross body with the help of an adjustable shoulder strap.
This Stella McCartney Strawberry Embroidered Straw Tote Bag is also great if you want the design to look like it’s a piece of fruit but doesn’t actually look like it. It has a drawstring pouch top, grab top handle, and a woven basket-style shape with crochet strawberries on the front. It is currently available for sale for £82.20.
Next’s Pink Strawberry Top Handle Bag, which costs $44, is a more subdued interpretation of the fashion. Dainty strawberry charms dangling from the flap adorn the classic square design, which also has a top handle and an envelope fastening.
We adore Anthropologie’s The Fiona Beaded Bag: Food &, Drink Edition for some glamour. If you don’t want to buy strawberries, you can choose from olives, tomatoes, or donut prints, which are available in the £88 bag.
However, Joe Browns customers have been raving about the Sweet Strawberry Bag, giving it a five out of five star rating. One person remarked, “It’s so well made, worth the price,” while another expressed, “So whimsical and cute, looks well made.”
One person wrote, “Very nice bag. Being a bit of a pain because of the pepper closure, most bags now have a magnetic fastening, but I’ll stick with either because I only use it occasionally. Additionally, it won’t stand up. However, it is only ever used occasionally.
Additionally, it was praised by some as being “fabulous and really funky.” It looks great with spring/summer outfits and is extremely fashionable. Anyone who wants to use this bag would be in luck.
Bob Elmore, a star of Star Trek, passed away at the age of 65. Caroline Williams, the star of Chainsaw Massacre, made the announcement about the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s passing.
She wrote, “My dear Bob Elmore has passed,” in a caption that read, “.. In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Elmore portrayed the executioner, and she previously co-starred in The Curse of the Black Pearl.
In Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, he is also known for playing Leatherface, a horror character. Elmore had been scheduling work for the following year despite not having yet confirmed a cause of death.
He was booked for 2026, according to the Horror Realm Convention’s Facebook post, “Awful news that Bob Elmore has passed away.
He was a welcome addition to Horror Realm a few years ago, to be sure. He was actually booked for 2026, but we haven’t yet announced any guests. We regret not having the opportunity to spend more time with him. Condolences to Bob’s family. R. I. P. Bob. “
Following the announcement of his death, Elmore’s fans have also paid tribute. Absolutely gutted, one person said. What a gentleman, a giant of a man, and the most epic white beard, I had the honor and privilege to meet him only a few months ago here in the UK. My favorite Bubba, sir, rest easy.
After hearing this, another said, “I’m actually crying right now at work.” The man was Bob. This is so depressing, according to someone else. After having a positive impact on so many people, I hope he had a peaceful passing.
I’m so sorry to hear this, a fourth person said. I used to laugh with Bob frequently at conventions because he was a great person. He will be missed.
Elmore began performing stunts at Knott’s Berry Farm in California when he first appeared in the Wild West Stunt Show. He then continued his education at Los Angeles City College under the direction of legendary stuntman Gene LeBell.
He also appeared in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, The Usual Suspects, Being John Malkovich, City of Angels, Uncle Buck, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
In the monster cult classics The Monster Squad and Dr. Giggles, he performed stunts. Elmore’s biggest success, however, was in Leatherface, where he gained a sizable following.
He praised the iconic role in a 2016 film, “Just to be recognized for working in this little, itty bitty movie that brought pleasure to so many people — and there are some people who really, really, really enjoyed it,” he said.
I have no idea what to do. There is a lot of that kind of movie, but I don’t have that kind of interest. Additionally, it is distributed throughout the world, not just the United States. Texas Chainsaw Part 2 is adored in Germany. They are crazy about it and just adore it. That’s what makes it so special, and it’s great to be associated with that. That’s not something that is said by too many people.
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British Grand Prix
Venue: Silverstone Dates: 4-6 July Race start: 15:00 BST on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton sees the first six months of his time at Ferrari through two different prisms.
“Everything generally outside of the racetrack is going amazing,” he says, “I couldn’t be happier in that respect. And I’m working as hard as I can to make sure that’s reflected also in my results. I want to be at the front, obviously.”
At the front – with one exception – he has not been. Hamilton has not had the start to his Ferrari career he would have wanted.
His move caused a sensation when it was announced, in February last year, and it dominated the news cycle in the lead-up to this season.
But the reality of Hamilton at Ferrari has so far not lived up to the hype.
The Briton is sixth in the championship, one place and 28 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has out-qualified him 9-4, at an average advantage of 0.151 seconds.
Hamilton won the sprint race in China, from pole position. But his highest qualifying position for a grand prix was fourth in Monaco and Austria – with Leclerc second on the grid both times. His best grand prix race result is fourth.
Hamilton went to Ferrari convinced they could take him to an eighth world title, although not necessarily in his debut season.
Ferrari started the year confident of battling for both titles, having run McLaren close for the constructors’ championship last season.
Both have fallen short of the level expected of them, as we reach the halfway point of the season – this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The Ferrari is, on average qualifying pace, the slowest car of the top four teams – at 0.393secs a lap slower behind the pace-setting McLaren.
And Hamilton has rarely been the fastest driver in it – he is further behind Leclerc on pace then he was George Russell in what was a disappointing final season at Mercedes in 2024.
So what is going wrong?
Hamilton, 40, has made much of the fact that he is still adapting to his new team, and that this was always going to take time.
He has pointed repeatedly to the fact that Ferrari operate differently as a team than he is used to, and run their car in a very different way; and that the car itself feels very different from a Mercedes.
“I think it looks a lot worse outside than it probably is on the inside,” Hamilton says. “It’s my first half of the year in a new team.
“It’s interesting to see how different teams work and operate. How they set the car up is completely different.
“And I’m having discussions with engineers to change things… There’s a certain way they like to work and it’s: ‘Hold on a second – that doesn’t actually make sense. Like, this is what I’ve done for the last 17, 18 years here (in F1), and it’s worked in a lot of them.’
“So, getting those things to consistently work with the team and making sure you’re working in a constructive way to make changes.
“I’m constantly battling the engineers, asking them questions. Because they set things up and are like: ‘This is how we always do it’ and I’m like: ‘What about this?’
From Hamilton’s point of view, there are signs of an upward trend. Leaving aside his sprint pole in China, in the first seven races he qualified in the top five only once, also in Shanghai. Starting with Monaco, he has been fourth twice and fifth twice.
Likewise, his gap to Leclerc is coming down. In the first five races of the season, it was 0.227secs; in the subsequent six it’s 0.087secs.
Hamilton says: “The positive is that we are making improvements. We are progressing. Whether or not you see that, that’s not necessarily important to me personally. I feel like I’m making progress. I feel like we are making progress, and that’s what’s most important.”
Qualifying so often sets the trend for races, with overtaking so difficult. But a rough run of luck has also made it tough to see whether Hamilton’s progress is being matched in races.
Having qualified fourth in Monaco, Hamilton was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen, after a radio miscommunication from his engineer, on a track where overtaking is next-to impossible.
In Spain, he was running fourth in the race until Mercedes out-strategised Ferrari and undercut George Russell ahead of him, and then both Ferraris had a problem in the final part of the race that slowed them. Team principal Frederic Vasseur has refused to say what it was.
In Canada, having out-qualified Leclerc on an error-strewn weekend for the Monegasque, Hamilton hit a groundhog after about eight laps of the race. It damaged his floor and cost him about 0.5secs a lap.
It is situations like this to which Vasseur points when he is defending the team’s performances this season.
Vasseur is cutting an increasingly defensive figure as the pressure mounts over the team’s lack of performance and failure to match its objectives.
Critical articles in two major Italian newspapers before the Canadian Grand Prix questioned Vasseur’s position.
Vasseur reacted angrily, and said the articles were a distraction. “It’s really hurting the team,” he said. “It’s not like this that we’ll be able to win a championship. At least not with this kind of journalist around us.”
It’s inevitable that Ferrari are facing this criticism. After Leclerc and Hamilton qualified 11th and 12th at their first home race of the season in Imola, Leclerc described the team as being “P-nowhere”.
Both drivers have bemoaned the lack of upgrades. The first of these since the fourth race in Bahrain finally arrived in Austria last weekend, and both drivers agreed they were a step forward, but that it would take time to judge how much. More are coming.
Nevertheless, Vasseur insists the car is better than the team have shown in recent races.
“The initial goal was to fight for the championship,” he said in Canada, “but I think it’s true for us, it’s true for McLaren, for Red Bull, for Mercedes. We are all in this mood to fight for the championship at the beginning of the season.
“If you compare with expectations, probably McLaren is one step ahead compared to everybody. And we didn’t do a good job on our side.
“Just speaking about us, we didn’t do a good job, in a couple of races.”
He points out that, after both cars were disqualified in China, they were 60 points behind Red Bull and 40 behind Mercedes two races into the season. Now, they are second in the constructors’ championship. On the flip side, they have nearly half the points of McLaren.
Vasseur describes this as “a decent recovery”.
The fact Ferrari have a stronger combined driver line-up than Red Bull and Mercedes is reflected in the fact that, despite their position in the constructors’ championship, Leclerc is fifth in the drivers’ – behind both McLaren drivers and the lead drivers from Red Bull and Mercedes.
“McLaren are still one step ahead,” Vasseur says. “It means we have to continue to try to do a better job each day and improve.
“You have to put everything together in the right place if you want to achieve a good result today, because in the tyre usage and the tyre performance, or what performance you get from the tyres, I think there is much more than between the cars.
“The car doesn’t matter. If the team is doing a very good job on the tyres, they will be in front. It will be like this until the end of the season. But it’s the same for everybody, we have to do a better job.”
As for Hamilton, he sees this as a building year for 2026, when new rules bring in revised cars and engines and Ferrari expect to be fighting at the very front.
He has generally not been especially comfortable with the type of cars introduced with the 2022 regulations, which demand a different driving style from those that came before. Next year’s cars are different in design again, and may well be different in driving character, too.
“The fact is with this car hopefully we can still fight for second in the constructors’ championship,” Hamilton says. “That would be great.