The Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari and the iconic Temple of Speed: a combination that has historically produced some of the most incredible and memorable stories in the history of Formula 1. Today, in the sixteenth round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, Ferrari gave absolutely everything they had in an attempt to cross the finish line ahead of their closest rivals. It was a daunting challenge, certainly, but one that was not entirely impossible, as Monza has often delivered unpredictable, thrilling, and sometimes chaotic races in the past, where strategy and speed have combined to create unforgettable moments. However, for Ferrari, different strategic options were not necessarily available, even when considering Lewis Hamilton’s grid penalty at the start of this Italian Grand Prix, which slightly altered their tactical approach.
So let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Maranello team at Monza in front of the Tifosi: the Ferrari drivers are already seated in their SF-5 cars, meticulously following the final instructions from their engineers before the race officially begins. Tension is incredibly high for this home race, which represents a special occasion for the team and must deliver some level of satisfaction to the thousands of Ferrari fans who have traveled to Monza, filling the grandstands with their enthusiastic support. Charles Leclerc will aim to immediately take advantage of the start to gain a position over the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton will follow a different tactical approach, focusing on extending his first stint for as long as possible in order to exploit clear air on track.
The formation lap begins with the Ferrari SF-5 cars equipped with Pirelli yellow band tires, known as the medium compound. The drivers deliberately weave through the track in order to aggressively warm the front tires, ensuring they reach the correct operating temperature before the start. Once the cars are lined up on the starting grid, all that remains is to wait for the green light on the starting lights to signal the beginning of what promises to be an intense and compelling race, filled with overtakes, strategic battles, and high-speed duels.
Early in the race, Oscar Piastri loses his third position to Charles Leclerc, who is immediately countered by the Australian driver with a decisive move exiting the Lesmo 2 corner. However, the Monegasque does not give up easily and on the very next lap manages to regain the lead in this mini-duel. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton makes his way forward decisively, overtaking two competitors in a strong display of racecraft and determination.
On the third-lap braking zone, Charles Leclerc runs slightly wide but demonstrates remarkable skill in maintaining his position ahead of McLaren number 81. The opening laps prove to be extraordinarily intense, with wheel-to-wheel battles and constant position changes. On the following lap, Lewis Hamilton overtakes Fernando Alonso to climb up to seventh place, showcasing his ability to navigate through traffic efficiently. In these early stages of the race, the superior pace of the McLaren machinery becomes very clear, leaving Ferrari with a significant challenge to match their performance.
By lap six, Charles Leclerc is forced to yield to the stronger pace of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. He tries to stay in the slipstream to reduce the gap, but the Australian driver gradually pulls away, taking advantage of the superior speed of his car. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton makes another daring move, overtaking Gabriel Bortoleto to advance into sixth place, further demonstrating his ability to extract maximum performance from the Ferrari SF-5 under competitive pressure.
The necessity of managing tire wear
A slight concern begins to appear for Charles Leclerc. The tires, heavily stressed during the opening laps, are showing early signs of wear, and the presence of George Russell close behind increases the pressure. For now, however, car number 16 still appears capable of managing this challenge. On the radio, communications with Lewis Hamilton become more animated, as the British driver’s pace proves to be faster than that of his teammate Charles Leclerc.
The situation for Charles Leclerc is not particularly encouraging. The sensations he reports from the tires are confirmed by the engineers, and from the pit wall, his race engineer Bryan Bozzi recommends using lift-and-coast techniques to reduce tire temperatures and manage the ongoing degradation. In addition, Charles is allowed to make increased use of the K1 overboost system to maximize performance, and the team requests an initial tire status update to provide a comprehensive overview of tire wear and degradation, crucial information to plan the remainder of the race.
Lewis Hamilton also faces limitations in tire management and is advised to reduce pressure on the throttle in the Alboreto corner. Fortunately, within a few laps, Charles Leclerc is able to bring his tires back within the optimal operating temperature range. From an external perspective, Lewis Hamilton’s car appears to be affected by excess rotation, which slightly destabilizes the handling of the vehicle, requiring careful management and precise steering inputs.
For the moment, the team confirms the “Plan B” strategy for Lewis Hamilton, a tactical choice that is mirrored for Charles Leclerc. This allows the Monaco driver to finally shake off the pressure from George Russell. By lap twenty, Charles Leclerc, holding fourth place firmly, is trailing Oscar Piastri by 4.5 seconds. Lewis Hamilton, maintaining sixth position, gradually reduces the gap to his former teammate at Mercedes, indicating that Ferrari is at least partially managing to extract competitive performance from their car.
Lewis Hamilton extends the first stint in pursuit of George Russell
As the race settles into a rhythm, the leading trio of drivers maintains a pace that Ferrari cannot effectively challenge at this stage. In this first stint on medium tires, the situation becomes clearer: Charles Leclerc runs alone in fourth, keeping George Russell at a safe distance and remaining unreachable for the drivers ahead. For Lewis Hamilton, the natural objective remains attempting to catch the Mercedes of George Russell, a critical target for maximizing points for Ferrari in this mid-season phase of the championship.
Pit stop discussions are ongoing, with the team asking Lewis Hamilton for feedback on the front wing to evaluate potential adjustments when the pit stop occurs. The British driver continues to report persistent oversteer, which can only be corrected with a minor tweak to the car’s aerodynamic balance. Meanwhile, George Russell chooses to enter the pit lane, and Ferrari decides to extend Lewis Hamilton’s stint in order to take advantage of the clear air in front of him, allowing the seven-time world champion to run faster laps without traffic interference.
However, the condition of the tires is far from optimal: lap times begin to increase significantly, a fact confirmed by Lewis Hamilton’s comments over the team radio. On lap thirty-four, Charles Leclerc makes his first pit stop, switching to hard tires and returning to sixth place, just behind Alexander Albon, in a stop executed with precise timing and efficiency.
Lewis Hamilton’s stint is deliberately extended to give him a fresher set of tires compared to George Russell, aiming to launch a direct attack once the gap has been reduced. On lap thirty-nine, Lewis Hamilton also enters the pit lane to switch to hard tires, returning in ninth position, behind Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, who have yet to make their stops, but with a significant ten-lap advantage on their tires compared to George Russell’s car.
Ferrari surrenders to reality
Lewis Hamilton, after overtaking Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, still faces a seven-second deficit to George Russell, making it very difficult to challenge for a higher points position. Charles Leclerc, now back in fourth place, demonstrates competitive pace, but analyzing the gaps shows clearly that after Oscar Piastri’s planned pit stop, the Monaco driver will remain behind the Australian. With nine laps still to run, the prospect of a race offering significant satisfaction to Ferrari appears increasingly unlikely.
Two laps later, Oscar Piastri makes a pit stop to switch to soft tires. Lando Norris follows on the next lap, but an issue with the front-left tire compromises the stop, forcing him to rejoin the track behind Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is unable to catch George Russell, while Charles Leclerc, benefiting from Lando Norris’ misfortune, closes to within just two seconds of the British driver.
In a strategic decision likely to provoke discussion among fans and analysts, McLaren orders their drivers to swap positions, returning the internal lead to Lando Norris. The final four laps unfold without further major incidents, and Ferrari must settle for what they have achieved: Charles Leclerc finishes in fourth place, just outside the podium, while Lewis Hamilton concludes the race in sixth position. Despite the best efforts, strategic choices, and determined driving by the Ferrari drivers, the team ultimately yields to the evident superiority of their rivals.
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