Charles Leclerc takes responsibility for tyre choice mistake at British GP: “I got it wrong”. Charles Leclerc admits to a poor strategy call and lack of pace after a tough British GP.

A bitter taste remains as Scuderia Ferrari leaves Silverstone and concludes its British Grand Prix weekend with only a fourth-place finish from Lewis Hamilton and a disappointing 14th from Charles Leclerc. A truly underwhelming outcome for a team that had arrived at the historic British circuit full of optimism, buoyed by the promising data gathered during Friday’s free practice sessions. The Maranello-based squad had hoped to build on the upward momentum from the Austrian Grand Prix, where the SF-25—thanks to a series of upgrades—appeared to have taken a significant step forward, clearly emerging as at least the second-fastest car on the grid.

Unfortunately, however, a series of errors and unfavorable weather conditions prevented the Italian team from capitalizing on what, for the first time in the 2025 Formula 1 season, looked like a genuine opportunity to fight at the front and deliver a strong result.

Between strategic mistakes and unpredictable weather…

The real potential of the Ferrari SF-25 remained untapped. In qualifying, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton made crucial mistakes during the decisive Q3 session, which relegated them to the third row of the grid and forced them into a challenging race from the very start. Then, on race day, the team was unable to replicate the strong pace seen in Friday’s dry conditions, mainly due to a chaotic and variable weather scenario that severely affected performance.

Charles Leclerc made a particularly costly decision at the start by opting for slick tyres on a still-damp track—a strategic error that compromised his race from the very first lap. Things only got worse as the Monegasque driver struggled to recover, hindered by both personal mistakes and a car that proved far too difficult to handle under such circumstances.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, managed to salvage the weekend by maximizing the potential of the available package. Despite Ferrari’s struggles in wet conditions, the British driver’s experience and consistency helped secure a solid points finish with fourth place.

Charles Leclerc speaks out

Despite the fact that the Italian car appeared capable of a strong performance at the start of the weekend, Scuderia Ferrari leaves Silverstone burdened with disappointment and unanswered questions. Speaking to Sky Sport F1, Charles Leclerc offered a brutally honest assessment of the British Grand Prix, admitting his own errors while expressing deep concern over the car’s lack of pace and stability.

“The first sectors were dry, but the third was still wet. I thought the track would dry out quickly, but that didn’t happen. It was clearly the wrong decision. I’m really worried about the pace—we simply didn’t have any. Lewis was much faster than me. For a few races now, I’ve been trying extreme setup options, but they don’t seem to work in the wet. Right now, I’m just disappointed. I want to understand what went wrong, because I was struggling so much that I was almost putting the car into the wall at every corner.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.

Charles Leclerc’s remarks reflect a broader frustration within the team as it continues to grapple with the unpredictability and limitations of the SF-25. With the 2025 Formula 1 season reaching its midpoint, time is running out for Ferrari to turn things around and deliver a car that both of its world-class drivers can fight with at the front of the grid.