After last season’s extraordinary victory, the 2025 Monaco GP is shaping up to be anything but simple for Ferrari—and unlikely to revive the thrilling emotions Charles Leclerc and the SF-24 brought to fans. The reason lies in the current car, the SF-25, which seems far removed from its predecessor and incapable of giving the drivers the same confidence to push to the limit through the narrow streets of the Principality. So far, it has shown major weaknesses in slow corners, which—statistically—are abundant in Monte Carlo. In short, even with driver brilliance, the Scuderia heads into the eighth race of the season with far lower expectations than a year ago.
Charles Leclerc voices the difficulties
Charles Leclerc himself discussed these issues during the first free practice session. As always, he sought the limit—his own, in terms of driving, and that of the car. In doing so, he couldn’t help but clash with the limits of the 2025 Ferrari, particularly its lack of balance compared to the previous year’s car. On the SF-25, the front end appears very precise and responsive, while the rear, in racing slang, is “lazy”—unstable. That’s why driver number 16 of the Prancing Horse complained via team radio to his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, during a flying lap, about the car’s inconsistency and how far off the pace they are compared to rivals.
“We’re nowhere. Massive understeer in the right-hand corner, massive oversteer in the left-hand corner.”
A dramatic start
This team radio came after a session that, beyond the technical issues, also delivered a scare for Charles. Just minutes into FP1, he was involved in a rear-end collision with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin at Loews, due to a communication error from the British team’s pit wall, which directed Stroll back onto the racing line just as Leclerc’s Ferrari was approaching. The contact caused only minor damage to both cars, and the Ferrari driver was able to continue his run after replacing his front wing.
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