Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 season: struggles, expectations and Lewis Hamilton’s impact
The 2025 Formula 1 campaign has been far more difficult than Ferrari and its star drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had hoped. Despite the excitement surrounding Hamilton’s historic move from Mercedes to Ferrari, the Scuderia has struggled to deliver the results its fans and drivers were dreaming of.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix marked another painful moment for Ferrari, as the team slipped down to third place in the constructors’ standings. After sixteen rounds, Ferrari had surprisingly been the closest challenger to McLaren, even though the team is still waiting for its first race victory of the season. This statistic alone underlines both the resilience of the Maranello squad and the ongoing frustration of not being able to compete consistently for wins.
Leclerc the stronger of the Ferrari pair so far
Charles Leclerc has managed to collect five podium finishes in 2025, keeping Ferrari in the fight near the front of the pack. Lewis Hamilton, however, continues to search for his first top-three finish on a Sunday, underlining just how tough the adjustment has been for the seven-time world champion since leaving Mercedes. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur was instrumental in convincing Hamilton to take this bold step, but so far the partnership has not produced the success either side had envisioned.
Hamilton had long dreamed of wearing Ferrari red at some point in his Formula 1 journey. Yet, the reality of his debut campaign with the Scuderia has been far more challenging than he imagined. Sitting 44 points behind his younger teammate in the standings, Lewis Hamilton’s true value to Ferrari has so far been more visible behind the scenes, where his knowledge from years of working with Mercedes has helped provide new direction and insights to the team.
Leclerc praises Hamilton’s influence at Ferrari
During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Charles Leclerc reflected on what Hamilton has brought to Ferrari. Speaking to RTBF, the Monegasque admitted that he has already learned a great deal from his new teammate. The British driver, who achieved unparalleled success alongside Toto Wolff at Mercedes, introduced methods and approaches from his former team that Ferrari has been keen to integrate. Leclerc was not surprised by Hamilton’s speed or talent, pointing out that he had always expected him to bring what he called a special kind of “magic” into the garage.
The pressure of life as a Ferrari driver
Charles Leclerc also opened up about the demands that come with being a Ferrari driver, both on and off the track. He explained that sponsorship and media obligations are negotiated as part of the drivers’ contracts, but that the real concern is how those commitments can impact performance. With such an intense schedule, fatigue often becomes a factor, and Leclerc stressed that a driver’s condition must always be protected to ensure they can perform at their peak on race weekends.
When asked about his long-term ambitions, Charles Leclerc made it clear that his ultimate target remains becoming Formula 1 world champion with Ferrari. He admitted he no longer enjoys much privacy in his personal life but still tries to maintain a simple lifestyle that allows him to stay grounded. Above all, he highlighted the unique bond with the tifosi, especially at Monza, which he described as the most emotional weekend of the year for a Ferrari driver. However, he also admitted that Ferrari’s supporters deserve far better results than they have received this season, and that it is the team’s responsibility to deliver.
Hamilton still adapting to Ferrari challenge
Lewis Hamilton himself acknowledged before the start of the season that leaving Mercedes for Ferrari represented one of the biggest leaps of his career. After more than a decade at Brackley, where he won multiple titles, adapting to new surroundings in Maranello was always going to take time. His lack of podiums in 2025 underlines just how steep the transition has been. Among drivers who switched teams during the most recent winter break, only Nico Hülkenberg has managed to consistently score points and remain inside the top ten of the championship standings.
The Azerbaijan weekend added insult to injury for Ferrari, as former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz delivered Williams its first podium of the season. The Spaniard’s result was another reminder of the competitiveness of Ferrari’s midfield rivals and the high stakes in the battle for constructors’ points.
What comes next for Ferrari and Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton’s quest for his first Ferrari podium continues, but the team remains hopeful that its experience and resources will eventually pay dividends in the second half of the season. For Leclerc, the goal is clear: to keep Ferrari in contention and capitalize on any opportunity that arises. For Hamilton, every race weekend is another chance to adjust, grow, and prove that his move to Maranello can still yield the historic success he has always dreamed of achieving in red.
Leave a Reply