Ferrari entered the 2025 Formula 1 season with high hopes of building on their strong finish to 2024, aiming to secure their first constructors’ championship since 2008. With a star-studded lineup featuring Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, expectations were sky-high. The Scuderia had ended last season with a flourish, claiming a double podium in Abu Dhabi and outperforming Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the final stretch. That momentum suggested Ferrari would be serious title contenders in 2025.
However, a quarter of the way into the season, reality has set in—and it’s far from what team principal Fred Vasseur envisioned. Instead of battling for wins, Ferrari finds itself struggling to keep up with the likes of McLaren and Red Bull, while Williams has even emerged as a threat in recent races.
Charles Leclerc delivered Ferrari’s first Grand Prix podium in Saudi Arabia, and Hamilton added a Sprint Race victory in China, along with a third-place finish in Miami. But these isolated highlights have been overshadowed by recurring problems that are stifling Ferrari’s championship hopes.
Leclerc Reportedly Upset Over Underperforming 2025 Floor Package
According to a report from The Race, Ferrari’s latest aerodynamic updates, specifically the new floor introduced at the Bahrain Grand Prix, have failed to deliver the expected performance gains. The publication claims that Charles Leclerc has become “especially irate” with the development path Ferrari has taken, particularly in relation to this critical floor upgrade.
Leclerc, who has built a reputation for extracting maximum performance over a single lap, found himself behind both Williams drivers in Miami Grand Prix qualifying—despite narrowly outpacing teammate Hamilton in Q2. Meanwhile, Hamilton was visibly frustrated after being eliminated in Q2 with an unused set of soft tyres still available in the garage, suggesting strategic miscommunication and missed opportunities continue to plague the team.
The floor, which was intended to raise the SF-25’s overall performance ceiling, appears to have instead exposed more issues. Charles Leclerc has reportedly lost confidence in the car’s feedback and grip levels, particularly in changing track conditions between Sprint and qualifying sessions—an inconsistency that is becoming a defining theme of Ferrari’s season.
Leclerc Admits Something Feels “Strange” with the SF-25 in Miami
Speaking after qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc shared concerns about the car’s behavior, indicating that he had to make major adjustments to his cockpit tools and car settings just to find a workable balance. He suggested that the car felt significantly different compared to previous sessions and that the team would need to investigate what exactly had changed.
When asked whether the rebuild of his car following a crash en route to the Sprint grid may have played a role in his poor qualifying performance, Leclerc remained cautious. He praised the mechanics for their rapid work but acknowledged that setup changes could have produced unexpected consequences. He added that it was unclear whether the new configuration or an underlying issue with the SF-25 was to blame for the disappointing pace.
Urgency Builds as Ferrari’s Season Risks Unraveling
With Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification for plank wear in China and Leclerc’s recurring frustrations over car balance and performance, Ferrari is quickly running out of time to fix their fundamental problems. While both drivers remain highly capable, they are being hampered by a package that is underdelivering in key areas—especially under race conditions and heavy-fuel setups.
If Ferrari cannot make significant progress soon, their 2025 campaign may soon pivot from a championship challenge to damage limitation. With sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026, this year could be the Monegasque and Lewis Hamilton’s best remaining opportunity to mount a serious title bid together.
Time is running out for the Scuderia to turn their season around—and both of their star drivers know it.
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