Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed that both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton encountered technical difficulties in the final stages of the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, affecting their performances and final race positions.
Charles Leclerc secured a second consecutive podium at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona by making the most of the chaos that unfolded in the closing laps, while his Maranello teammate endured yet another frustrating race, finishing sixth despite showing early promise. Starting as the top-placed Ferrari on the grid, Lewis Hamilton quickly came under pressure from his teammate. This led the team to implement a strategy swap by lap nine, allowing the Monegasque to move ahead.
Lewis Hamilton’s race began to unravel as he struggled with poor rear grip, falling as much as 10 seconds behind the leaders. Although he started closing the gap before the deployment of the Safety Car, his momentum was disrupted. On the penultimate lap, Lewis Hamilton lost a position to Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg but regained sixth place after Max Verstappen was penalised. Following the race, the seven-time world champion expressed his disappointment, reportedly describing it as one of his worst races. However, Frederic Vasseur later clarified that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion had been dealing with a car issue that significantly compromised his final stint.
Speaking to media outlets including ScuderiaFans.com, Frederic Vasseur emphasized that Lewis Hamilton’s post-race comments should not be taken at face value. He pointed out that emotional reactions immediately after a race are often not fully representative of the situation, and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.
Frederic Vasseur stressed that the British driver had spent around 70 percent of the race ahead of George Russell and questioned whether the Mercedes man had described his own race as a disaster. He then confirmed that a technical problem had affected Hamilton’s car before the Safety Car period, hampering his performance. Despite the unsatisfactory result, the Frenchman reminded reporters that Hamilton still completed 45 laps ahead of his former Mercedes teammate.
Charles Leclerc also encountered difficulties late in the race. His lap times dropped significantly in the final laps, placing his podium finish in jeopardy until a collision between George Russell and Max Verstappen at Turn 5 helped secure his third-place result. Observers, including Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, noted that Leclerc’s Ferrari appeared to be leaking oil. However, Frederic Vasseur dismissed this theory, asserting that the issue had no connection to any oil leak.
He further revealed that Charles Leclerc had been contending with a separate technical fault from the one experienced by Lewis Hamilton. Although Frederic Vasseur didn’t specify the exact nature of the issue, he confirmed that it was a minor but impactful problem that the team is still investigating.
Both Ferrari drivers managing different car-related problems raises questions about the reliability of the SF-25, especially as the team continues its pursuit of Red Bull and McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. While Charles Leclerc managed to salvage a strong result under pressure, Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing struggles with adaptation and car performance remain a concern for Ferrari heading into the next rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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