Lewis Hamilton faced a stewards’ investigation after another frustrating outing for Ferrari during Friday’s qualifying session ahead of Saturday’s sprint race at the São Paulo Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion, 40, qualified 11th for the sprint but could face a further setback if penalized. He was summoned to the stewards after allegedly failing to slow down under double yellow flags, which were waved when teammate Charles Leclerc spun late in the second sprint qualifying session.

The incident ended Hamilton’s hopes of delivering a final flying lap to progress to the top-10 shootout. It marked yet another disappointing session in a season where Ferrari has struggled to find consistent pace.

Hamilton, who has yet to claim a podium in a record 20 races since joining Ferrari, admitted the team is struggling to unlock performance.

“It’s not for lack of trying,” he said. “The team thought we were a lot faster than we are. I gave it everything, but ultimately we’re just not quick enough.”

Leclerc, who managed to qualify eighth, shared his teammate’s frustration.

“I am very disappointed,” said the Monegasque driver. “The car felt good, but it was just not fast enough. It felt slow.”