Charles Leclerc validates Bahrain upgrades but Ferrari confront another performance concern. Ferrari saw progress with their Bahrain F1 upgrades, but issues with Pirelli’s hard tyres have emerged.

Ferrari recorded their strongest performance of the 2025 Formula 1 campaign to date last weekend at the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth and fifth respectively. It was a much-needed result for the Maranello-based team following a challenging start to the year.

The opening four rounds have exposed limitations in the SF-25, particularly for Lewis Hamilton, who has yet to find his rhythm after joining from Mercedes. The Italian outfit now trails McLaren by a concerning 94 points in the Constructors’ Championship. Aware of their early-season struggles, Ferrari introduced a major update package in Bahrain, which included a redesigned floor, a new rear wing, an evolved diffuser, and revised cooling components.

The Monegasque driver was instrumental in extracting the maximum from the updated package. He secured P3 in Q3 and looked in contention for a podium before a poorly timed safety car compromised Ferrari’s race strategy. Nevertheless, his fourth-place finish – matching his result from Japan – and Hamilton’s P5 marked a clear step forward. For Hamilton, it was his best race result so far in red, providing a small but significant morale boost for the Scuderia.

Despite these positives, Ferrari identified a new area of concern that must be addressed. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the team acknowledged ongoing issues with performance on Pirelli’s hard compound tyres. While the SF-25 behaved more consistently and predictably in Bahrain, it still lacked competitiveness on the C1 rubber. Charles Leclerc, who had been holding pace with the leaders, was unable to match George Russell’s lap times once the Mercedes driver switched to soft tyres after the safety car phase.

The team had already noted signs of difficulty with the C1 compound at the Japanese Grand Prix, but the problems became more pronounced in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc, on the harder compound, was expected to sustain better pace but instead lost ground to George Russell, who was on the softer C3 tyres. This exposed a critical limitation in Ferrari’s tyre performance envelope that could hurt them at circuits where harder compounds are mandated.

Fortunately for the Maranello team, upcoming races may provide breathing space. Pirelli has opted for softer tyre selections for the next few rounds, including Saudi Arabia, Miami, and Imola. In Jeddah and Miami, teams will run the C3, C4, and C5 compounds, while the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will see the debut of the brand-new C6 alongside the C4 and C5. This sequence gives Ferrari valuable time to address their issues with the harder tyres before the C1 compound returns to the allocation later in the season.

Although the Sakhir Grand Prix showcased meaningful progress thanks to the latest updates, the Italian side understands that tyre adaptability will be crucial for consistent performance across a wide variety of tracks. As they prepare for their home race at Imola from May 16–18, solving this new challenge will be key to maintaining momentum and closing the gap to the front.