The trend is clear: in recent races since the summer break, Ferrari’s performance has been disappointing, with their points average dropping to levels more typical of a mid-field team. This stagnation—or even regression—has coincided with a steady rise in performance from Ferrari’s main rivals, Red Bull and Mercedes, who have made clear gains, closing in on the leading McLaren. Meanwhile, Ferrari has seemed increasingly overwhelmed by the issues affecting the SF-25 since the start of the season. These problems, despite the few upgrades brought to the track, have never been fully resolved and have allowed the championship gap to widen, leaving Ferrari as at best the fourth strongest team on track, even risking second place in the Constructors’ Championship unless a turnaround occurs in the final races.
Tests for the future
Lewis Hamilton has not appeared particularly confident about any immediate turnaround, saying he plans to approach the remaining races as tests for 2026, putting short-term hopes aside. “I am looking at the next races as an opportunity to learn and improve. We want to change what isn’t working. Everyone deserves a good result: the goal is to maximize our potential and stay focused.” Charles Leclerc echoed this sentiment even more bluntly. Both Ferrari drivers seem doubtful that the hoped-for turnaround—necessary to salvage the year—will arrive in this final stretch. Indeed, during the first part of the United States Grand Prix, Ferrari appeared far from competitive or recovering. In yesterday’s Sprint Qualifying, the SF-25 looked uncompetitive, being only the sixth fastest overall (behind even Sauber, Aston Martin, and Williams), with Hamilton finishing eighth and Leclerc tenth.
Poor qualifying, anonymous Sprint
The negative assessment was reinforced by the large gaps Ferrari faced due to a slow car that was difficult for the drivers to handle rather than drive aggressively. This poor performance continued into the Austin Sprint Race. Despite finishing fourth and fifth—largely thanks to the first-lap chaos that took out direct competitors— the SF-25 never threatened to challenge, losing significant ground to rival teams usually held at bay by Ferrari. However, in terms of overall driving feeling, the car performed better for both drivers. Charles Leclerc remained positive and optimistic for tomorrow’s race and qualifying, regretting not being able to reach the Sprint podium due to a less-than-ideal start.
“The car was better than yesterday. I thought I could pass Carlos Sainz. I pushed like an animal, but I made a mistake. After that, it was difficult to recover. I did a lot of setup and configuration tests. We are better prepared for the race, today’s position wasn’t very influential. We learned a lot, and now we need a strong qualifying performance; otherwise, the race will be tough.”
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