Ferrari unfortunately once again struggled significantly, this time during the 2025 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix weekend held at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The qualifying session for the Sprint event proved to be complicated and challenging due to a technical problem suffered by Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25 car, which unfortunately resulted in his premature and disappointing elimination in the first Sprint qualifying segment. Charles Leclerc managed to progress to the third and final qualifying session, Q3, but ultimately had to surrender to the overwhelming pace advantage demonstrated by the McLaren team. Even Max Verstappen, driving the updated Red Bull RB21, performed better over the weekend. On this occasion, during the Sprint Race event, Ferrari aimed to stage a determined comeback with Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc was tasked with demonstrating exactly what level of pace and performance the Italian single-seater can deliver on the demanding and fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
So let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Maranello team’s two drivers on Saturday afternoon: at the start of the Sprint Race, Charles Leclerc initially gave a hopeful impression to fans and observers but quickly revealed the inherent limitations of the car. The cars lined up meticulously on the starting grid after all the necessary and detailed technical checks had been completed, including power unit systems, transmission, hybrid energy recovery system, and braking system functionality. Ferrari’s mechanics carefully equipped car number 44, driven by Lewis Hamilton, with Medium compound tires, the same tire choice made for the Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who would also commence the race on the yellow-banded Pirelli Medium tires, just like most of the opponents. Ambient air temperatures had risen noticeably compared to the previous day, remaining steady around 22 degrees Celsius, with track surface temperatures reaching as high as 32 degrees Celsius, affecting tire behavior and car performance.
It was particularly interesting to observe whether the recently modified rear suspension setup could provide any tangible additional advantage, especially given that the car was carrying a heavier fuel load compared to qualifying. Everything was prepared, and within minutes, the green light signaled the start of the formation lap. During this critical lap, Ferrari’s drivers meticulously managed tire warm-up procedures to optimize grip before positioning themselves precisely on the starting grid, as anticipation and tension steadily mounted among the teams and drivers.
Starting the Sprint Race from the second row of the grid, Charles Leclerc skillfully took advantage of the aerodynamic slipstream created by the McLaren ahead of him and, at the end of the fast Kemmel Straight, launched a decisive overtaking attack on Lando Norris, who had adopted a cautious approach at the start to avoid any unnecessary risks in the opening meters of the race, carefully steering clear of potential collisions within the tightly packed group of cars. Although Charles Leclerc initially closed in on the other MCL39 car of Oscar Piastri, he failed to mount a serious overtaking attempt and it became clear that the Ferrari SF-25 car would not be able to match the pace of its main rivals.
While Charles Leclerc tried his best to maintain his position on the track, the McLaren MCL39 began to appear increasingly in his mirrors. By the third lap, the lack of Drag Reduction System on the two leading cars forced Charles Leclerc to concede the position. The significant speed advantage generated by the movable rear wing was simply insurmountable on this fast circuit. From the very first kilometers of the race, it became clear that Ferrari was unable to match the pace set by Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, who were consistently faster.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton had overtaken Nico Hülkenberg and was setting his sights on the Williams of Alexander Albon. Lewis Hamilton’s goal remained to climb as high as possible in the race standings and secure points-scoring positions. Examining the timing data and lap times, it quickly became evident that Charles Leclerc was destined to race in isolation: too slow to challenge the frontrunners but fast enough to maintain a gap over his immediate pursuers. This technical stalemate felt like a tacit acknowledgment of the car’s current limitations.
Ferrari settled for a less ambitious race result. On lap seven, Lewis Hamilton reported over the radio that the rear tires had still not reached the ideal temperature range necessary for maximum grip and performance. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc received instructions from the team focused specifically on managing wheel spin and tire rotation to optimize performance and durability. Additionally, Kimi Antonelli, who had started from the back of the grid, closely followed Lewis Hamilton’s car from the early laps. Despite his persistent efforts, the DRS train ahead limited the Italian’s ability to make effective progress.
Adding to the difficulties faced by Lewis Hamilton was the constant pressure applied by Kimi Antonelli, who did not give him any breathing space on track. Ferrari’s pit wall, including race engineers Riccardo Adami and Bryan Bozzi, continued to provide detailed radio guidance aimed at improving car handling characteristics and managing tire temperatures, in an effort to help their drivers approach and reach the target lap times.
With only five laps remaining in the Sprint Race, it appeared that thermal degradation of the tires was not the primary issue affecting performance. However, both Scuderia Ferrari drivers were instructed not to push too hard in specific sections of the track to avoid excessive tire wear and premature degradation. Apart from a lively and spirited start, the Sprint Race unfolded as a long, uneventful stretch without overtakes or significant race developments.
In the closing stages, Lewis Hamilton made a late and determined attempt to gain positions, but Ferrari remained largely in the background, unable to break into the points. Charles Leclerc’s situation did not improve in the final laps: he remained isolated from both the podium battle ahead and any attacking moves from rivals behind him. The dynamic was different for Lewis Hamilton, who launched an aggressive attack on Alexander Albon’s Williams car at the final corner. The overtaking move initially succeeded, but the Williams driver immediately responded and overtook Lewis Hamilton again on the main straight.
Despite this, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion persisted with his efforts and managed to regain the fifteenth position along the Kemmel Straight, ultimately finishing the Belgian Sprint Race in that position. Although the race lacked memorable highlights or exciting moments, it was still valuable for collecting crucial data and insights ahead of the qualifying session which takes place later today. Even Ferrari race engineer Bryan Bozzi confirmed over the radio that some useful and important information had been gathered during the Sprint Race. Now, the Ferrari team based in Maranello must carefully analyze and reflect on how to improve the overall balance and setup of the SF-25, which once again at Spa-Francorchamps revealed limitations that are unfortunately far too difficult to conceal or mask.
— see video above —
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