Charles Leclerc Highlights Ferrari’s New Weakness at Spanish GP – A Setback Lewis Hamilton Won’t Want to Hear
The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix offered few signs that the recent FIA technical directive had a significant impact on the competitive order in Formula 1. McLaren continued its dominance with another commanding one-two finish, while Charles Leclerc brought Ferrari home in third, securing his third podium of the season.
Despite that result, Charles Leclerc remains fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. With half the season completed and 15 races still to go, hopes of a late charge toward the top two positions appear slim. McLaren’s pace advantage currently looks insurmountable, and with little to suggest that Ferrari or Red Bull can close the gap in the short term, the sport’s focus may soon shift to the incoming 2026 regulations.
Inside Maranello, contingency plans are already in motion. Should an anticipated rear suspension upgrade fail to yield meaningful progress, Ferrari may choose to divert its focus away from the 2025 campaign entirely—an early surrender in a title battle that never truly ignited.
Charles Leclerc, in a bid to optimize his own performance, has increasingly drawn inspiration from teammate Lewis Hamilton. Observers have noted that the Monegasque has begun emulating some of the seven-time world champion’s work habits and approach to race preparation in an attempt to extract every ounce of potential from his package.
But Lewis Hamilton may not be pleased to hear what Charles Leclerc recently revealed about Ferrari’s latest performance issues. At the team’s Maranello headquarters, the 27-year-old driver admitted he had sown doubt a few rounds ago following his struggles to pinpoint the root cause of his difficulties at the Imola circuit in Italy. Unfortunately, that uncertainty has now been compounded after yet another weekend of unexplained performance swings in Barcelona.
Once again, Charles Leclerc managed to outperform Hamilton in race conditions despite starting further back on the grid. He later reflected on the dramatic shift in his car’s handling over the course of the Grand Prix, explaining that he had clearly identified certain limitations—limitations that had become significantly worse in the final stint compared to the opening phase of the race. While he believed he had an explanation for the drop-off, Charles Leclerc stated that the issue had not been anticipated and described it as a newly emerging problem that surfaced specifically during the Spanish GP weekend.
That revelation is unlikely to be welcome news for Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to find consistency in his first season with Ferrari and is still searching for a breakthrough performance.
Adding further drama to the weekend, Charles Leclerc made headlines with a bold overtake on Max Verstappen in the closing laps at Montmeló. With the Red Bull driver struggling to get his hard-compound Pirellis into the optimal temperature window after a late Safety Car period, the Monegasque seized the opportunity to snatch third place.
Max Verstappen, frustrated after being ordered to return a position to George Russell, later made contact with the Mercedes driver. The incident earned him a 10-second time penalty, dropping him down the order and ultimately allowing the Monegasque to hold onto the podium.
After the race, Charles Leclerc was asked about his pass on Max Verstappen and remarked that it was “very optimistic” on Max’s part—a subtle but pointed comment that may fuel tensions between the two in future battles. With Max Verstappen’s recent errors and penalties beginning to mount, Charles Leclerc may now see a window of opportunity to overtake the reigning champion in the standings.
As the championship battle begins to fragment, the internal struggles at Ferrari—and the psychological warfare brewing among its rivals—are becoming just as significant as what happens on track.
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