The 2025 season was far from straightforward for Charles Leclerc. After the breakthrough campaign of the previous year, the Monegasque driver was expecting a Ferrari capable of fighting for the championship. Instead, the reality proved very different, and Leclerc has now explained what he considers to be the biggest disappointment of his season.
Despite driving an SF-25 that was not on the same level as the very best cars on the grid, Charles Leclerc still managed to collect seven podium finishes during the 2025 Formula 1 season and even came close to a possible victory in Hungary. However, despite these results, the year was ultimately a negative one for Ferrari and for the Monegasque driver, who clearly identified his greatest disappointment from what he himself described as a true annus horribilis.
Once again, Leclerc finished the season empty-handed in terms of championships, even in his seventh year wearing Ferrari red. Ferrari was still unable to provide him with a car truly capable of fighting at the front, which makes the situation particularly frustrating given Charles Leclerc’s unquestionable talent. Looking ahead, the 2026 season could play a crucial role in shaping the future of the driver wearing the number 16, who could even consider walking away from his long-standing relationship with the Scuderia from Maranello if the next car were to fall short once again.
Leclerc: “What disappointed me the most was…”
“The season was not an easy one. Last year we were fighting for the constructors’ championship and we were hoping to repeat that experience. Unfortunately, from the very first race we realised that McLaren were going to be very strong. Being satisfied when you are fighting for fourth, fifth or sixth place is difficult and painful.”
As highlighted earlier in the article, Charles Leclerc did not expect such a drop-off after fighting until the very last point for the constructors’ title in 2024. This situation certainly surprised Ferrari as well, as the team believed it had a car capable of mounting a serious challenge for the top spot during the 2025 season. However, already during the Bahrain tests, several limitations of the SF-25 became clear.
“Ferrari remains the team that I have always loved, and that I love even more today. The podiums helped me stay positive, but they are not enough. They pushed me to remain focused and motivated. The potential victory in Hungary, where I started from pole position, hurt me less than missing out on pole position in Monaco. But when I look at how we have worked over these past years, it is clear that we have grown enormously as a team and that we will carry many things forward into the next championship.”
These were the words spoken by the Monegasque driver to L’Equipe, as he looks ahead with hope to a 2026 season that he desperately wants to be a turning point. A season that, in his view, could finally reward him with the success that he arguably deserves more than anyone else on the current Formula 1 grid.
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