F1 Dutch GP: telemetry reveals Ferrari SF-25 struggles in key corners at Zandvoort circuit. Ferrari SF-25 shows instability and difficult balance during FP1 and FP2 at the Dutch GP.

Dutch GP confirms Ferrari SF-25 struggles

Friday at the Dutch Grand Prix did not dispel doubts about the competitiveness of the Ferrari SF-25, which appeared unstable and difficult to keep within the optimal performance window. During the two practice sessions, the drivers completed a total of 105 laps – 50 for Lewis Hamilton and 55 for Charles Leclerc – aiming to gather data on all Pirelli slick compounds: C2, C3, and C4. However, both lap times and, more importantly, telemetry confirm that the engineers’ overnight work will be crucial to overturning this challenging situation.

FP1: Lewis Hamilton pushes to the limit, Charles Leclerc more cautious

The first session was interrupted by red flags and several off-track excursions, including Lewis Hamilton’s spin at Turn 3, which caused no damage. Ferrari ran a differentiated program: Charles Leclerc focused on a race simulation on Medium tires, while Hamilton ran on Softs, having ruined his first set during the spin. Even at this stage, the SF-25’s rear fragility in medium-speed corners was evident, forcing both drivers to make continuous corrections.

FP2: close comparison, but balance still unsatisfactory

The second session, also interrupted by incidents involving Stroll, Hadjar, and Albon, allowed Ferrari to collect more complete data using Hard tires as well. Hamilton pushed decisively, setting the fastest sector 1 on Soft tires before spinning again exiting Turn 9. Towards the end, he switched to Hard tires for the long run, while Leclerc continued working on Softs.

Dutch GP Hamilton vs Leclerc telemetry: subtle but significant differences

A direct comparison of their fastest laps (Hamilton 1:10.739, Leclerc 1:10.834) shows a minimal 0.095-second advantage for the seven-time world champion. However, the data reveal interesting dynamics:

• Braking phase: Lewis Hamilton gains time entering corners, particularly Turns 1 and 10, reflecting greater confidence in the front end.
• Middle sector: Charles Leclerc loses ground in the long sequence from Turn 7 to Turn 9, where the unstable rear forces both drivers to modulate throttle, but especially penalizes the Monegasque.
• Turn 13 and final banking launch: Lewis Hamilton continues to struggle, giving Leclerc a few hundredths, but not enough to overturn the comparison.
• Overall delta: The timing line shows Lewis Hamilton building the advantage progressively, without sudden gains, confirming a more incisive but riskier driving style, as evidenced by the two spins during the day.

Dutch GP Ferrari: drivers speak

Lewis Hamilton appeared confident, noting encouraging progress between sessions and a more consistent race pace, while highlighting the need to improve balance over a single lap. Leclerc admitted the difficulties.

Lewis Hamilton explained to Ferrari’s official channels: “It was great to be back on track. We made encouraging progress between the two sessions after not being in the ideal performance window in FP1. There is still work to do to improve the car’s balance on a flying lap, but the race pace seemed more consistent. As always, qualifying will be decisive here, so the priority is to bring the insights collected today into FP3 and continue making progress.”

Charles Leclerc commented: “It was a difficult Friday, with the second practice session slightly better than the first, although we are still far from where we want to be. We must do everything possible to turn the situation around tomorrow. I think it will be tough to fight with McLaren and Aston Martin, who were very fast today. Our main difficulties come from two corners in particular, and we will work to find a solution to this problem.”

Ferrari SF-25: stability remains Achilles’ heel

The SF-25 suffers from highly variable behavior: a front end lacking precision and a rear that betrays the drivers, especially in medium-speed corners. Lewis Hamilton, more aggressive, was able to extract a little extra, but stability remains the true Achilles’ heel of the car. With qualifying at Zandvoort almost as important as the race itself, the team’s ability to make improvements overnight will determine whether Ferrari can aim for a second-row finish (the maximum achievable in dry conditions, considering a very strong McLaren) or whether they will be forced to chase from the start.