F1 Spanish GP: lack of balance and grip on mediums limit Charles Leclerc’s performance in Barcelona

Ferrari takes the podium with Charles Leclerc in the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth round of the 2025 Formula 1 championship. The Monegasque driver took advantage of Red Bull’s different strategy to get ahead of Max Verstappen, who was forced to switch to Hard tyres after the Safety Car. For once Lady Luck smiled on Charles Leclerc, who had been struggling on the mediums up until the Safety Car was deployed. Even during the race, it was clear that the Maranello car performed better on Soft tyres at the Montmeló circuit, especially with a lighter fuel load.

The Monegasque driver complained about a lack of balance on the mediums as the car got lighter. In the third stint, in fact, Lewis Hamilton, running on the red compound, was performing better than his Maranello teammate, who, without the Safety Car intervention, would likely have lost the position to George Russell.

During the first stint, all front-running drivers started on Soft tyres in a two-stop race. Lewis Hamilton, who was fourth after a good start, lost on average seven tenths per lap compared to the McLaren MCL39 of Lando Norris. The Briton tried to stay close to his compatriot but managed the used tyres from Saturday’s qualifying session incorrectly. Lewis Hamilton therefore experienced a rise in lap times after the sixth lap, suffering about half a tenth of degradation per lap based on the telemetry data collected from the race at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, slightly improved his pace after a delayed team order to swap positions but failed to limit the degradation. By the end of the first stint, Charles Leclerc was losing over three tenths compared to Oscar Piastri.

At the front of the race, the Australian immediately pushed with Max Verstappen, gaining around a tenth per lap. The Dutchman repeatedly complained over the radio about a lack of grip compared to the McLaren duo and pitted early after being overtaken by Lando Norris.

In the second third of the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen used the red tyres to close the gap to McLaren, who had extended their first stint. The world champion’s pace was strong until lap 10. Afterwards, he again reported a lack of confidence with the tyres and issues with braking and rotation due to the lack of grip in the slower sections. At McLaren, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri maintained a similar pace. The British driver started the stint more cautiously, gaining an advantage in the middle phase. Oscar Piastri, instead, struggled during the central laps due to early graining on his tyres. Oscar needed a few laps to clean up the tyres and return to his teammate’s pace. On the other hand, Ferrari introduced the medium tyres more cautiously.

The target lap time from the pit wall was 1.20.5 per lap to extend tyre life and gain a compound advantage at the end of the stint. From the telemetry data related to degradation, we can notice that both drivers’ lap times started to drop after the eighth lap. A solid second part of the race also for George Russell, who was lapping one tenth slower than Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver recovered about two seconds on his compatriot thanks to better tyre management.

George Russell’s performance plateaued after lap 10 due to graining, preventing an overtaking attempt. Lewis Hamilton, also struggling more than Charles Leclerc on the mediums, complained about a lack of rear grip and was forced to use a greater slip angle. This increased tyre temperature, causing him to lose about three seconds of pace in the final five laps of the stint.

In the third stint, Ferrari opted for a split strategy between the two drivers. Lewis Hamilton ran a shorter stint, lapping about a second faster than his Maranello teammate. However, by extending the middle section, the Briton lost track position to George Russell but again showed the SF-25’s superior form on the red compound. Charles Leclerc, in fact, repeatedly complained over the radio about a lack of grip, suffering a steady drop in tyre performance. In the end, the Safety Car neutralised Red Bull’s strategy, which had been built around a three-stop plan to shake things up. Max Verstappen, who would have finished behind the McLaren pair regardless, restarted on Hard tyres and lost two positions.

Charles Leclerc took advantage of this, securing a podium in the Spanish Grand Prix after starting from seventh on the grid. The final phase was more difficult for Lewis Hamilton, who struggled more with the Soft tyre used in the qualifying session. The Briton was penalised by the final stop, having to give up a position to the Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, who was on fresh rubber.