Ferrari have begun to claw their way back from a dismal start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, with recent performances hinting at a slow but steady return to form. After a series of underwhelming races, the Maranello-based team is now showing encouraging signs of competitiveness on track.
Charles Leclerc remains the lead figure in the Scuderia’s driver lineup, continuing to carry much of the team’s hopes as he enters his seventh season with Ferrari. Meanwhile, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is becoming more settled within his new environment following his high-profile switch from Mercedes.
Currently sitting second in the Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari have benefitted from a string of performance upgrades that have allowed them to edge ahead of Mercedes in the standings. However, despite recent progress, the team acknowledges that significant development is still needed. With the sweeping 2026 regulation changes fast approaching, Ferrari are determined to gain every possible advantage now to carry positive momentum into the next era of Formula 1.
In their push to return to winning ways, Ferrari are even looking to emulate some of Mercedes’ strategies. They remain the only one of the current top four teams—alongside Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes—yet to secure a Grand Prix victory in 2025, and are determined to change that as quickly as possible.
According to former World Champion Nigel Mansell, something intangible has been lost within the team since Hamilton’s arrival—an issue that Ferrari have yet to fully understand or resolve.
In the meantime, Charles Leclerc has taken matters into his own hands. In a bid to improve his feel for the SF-25, Leclerc has reportedly made one particularly ‘extreme’ setup change in search of better balance and confidence behind the wheel. This follows a series of frustrating races, including the British Grand Prix, where Leclerc aired his dissatisfaction over team radio and struggled with a known ‘weakness’ in the car’s handling.
Ferrari are now placing high hopes on a major rear suspension upgrade, which is expected to deliver a small but crucial step—potentially worth a tenth of a second per lap—across most circuits. The development should help both drivers, but especially Lewis Hamilton, who could have finished ahead of both McLaren cars at Silverstone if the upgraded suspension had already been fitted to his SF-25.
Encouragingly, the new components appear to correlate well with simulation data from Maranello, a strong indicator that Ferrari’s development direction is on track. That’s not only good news for the remainder of this season, but also a positive sign for the Scuderia’s 2026 car project.
Damon Hill, another former World Champion, believes Hamilton could play a crucial role in addressing certain persistent Ferrari weaknesses—particularly those Leclerc may struggle to overcome—thanks to his depth of experience and technical insight.
Hamilton’s most notable success with Ferrari so far remains his sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, although that was followed by a Sunday double disqualification that wiped out the team’s momentum on that weekend. Still, the potential is there—and with new parts arriving and both drivers pushing the limits, Ferrari may soon be in a position to challenge McLaren more consistently in the races to come.
McLaren, meanwhile, already have a very competitive package and may now be shifting their primary focus toward the 2026 regulations. That could present Ferrari with a narrow window of opportunity in the second half of the season—if they can seize it.
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