Ferrari Eye Two Major Upgrades to Rescue 2025 Season and Support Hamilton-Leclerc Push Against McLaren
Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 campaign has so far failed to live up to internal expectations, with the team struggling to extract consistent performance from its newly designed car concept. Despite the strategic overhaul, Ferrari remain second in the constructors’ standings—yet tellingly, both McLaren drivers individually boast more points than the entire Ferrari squad, underlining the challenge facing the Scuderia.
As the top four teams mirror their 2024 finishing positions through the first nine rounds, Ferrari’s inability to close the performance gap has raised concern, especially given the team’s lofty ambitions. For Lewis Hamilton, the timing could hardly have been worse. After making a high-profile move from Mercedes in pursuit of an eighth world title, the British driver now finds himself adjusting to a new environment while grappling with a car that lacks race-day consistency.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, continues to show strong form in his sixth year with Ferrari. However, even he is not immune to the limitations of the SF-25, a car that has been highly sensitive to setup changes and track conditions. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc managed to salvage a podium finish after overtaking Max Verstappen during a late-race Safety Car period—yet his Maranello teammate was less fortunate.
Lewis Hamilton, who had started strongly, was asked by Ferrari to move aside early in the race to let the Monegasque through, a strategic decision that left him exposed to pressure from behind. Former teammate Nico Rosberg labeled the seven-time Formula 1 world champion’s situation as “horrible,” pointing to the demoralizing impact of being forced to yield position while battling car imbalance. Although Hamilton managed to bring the car home in sixth place, he later described the experience as his worst race yet with Ferrari.
The contrast between the two drivers has grown increasingly visible. Charles Leclerc appears to have tailored his car setup to maximize race-day performance, while Hamilton continues to search for a baseline that suits his driving style. Despite spending nearly half a year integrating into the team, the seven-time world champion still appears unsettled within the Scuderia structure.
In an effort to address these ongoing performance inconsistencies, Ferrari are now preparing to introduce two pivotal car upgrades. According to well-known journalist and Formula 1 expert Franco Nugnes, the Maranello technicians and engineers will debut a new floor and an updated rear suspension system—changes that are expected to significantly impact the SF-25’s handling characteristics and provide a much-needed performance boost. The aim is to finally bring the fight to McLaren, who have emerged as serious title contenders this season.
Franco Nugnes explained that Ferrari was in a position where it needed to accelerate its development path. The Italian journalist noted that the introduction of a new floor and a revised rear suspension was expected to enable the team to mount a direct challenge to McLaren, who currently led the championship standings.
Off-track discussions have also intensified. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has suggested Hamilton consider a switch in race engineer to improve communication and strategy execution—an idea that, while drastic, might yield better synergy than his current partnership with Riccardo Adami.
Lewis Hamilton’s post-race remarks at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo added further intrigue to his mindset. He admitted to having gained no valuable insights from the Spanish GP and described the outing as “a terrible day.” His candid comments, including the admission that he simply wanted to go home, have sparked speculation over his long-term commitment to Ferrari. While no official statements have been made about his future, the tone of his reflections hinted at frustration and fatigue.
As F1 prepares for a significant regulation shift in 2026, questions linger over whether the Briton will remain motivated to continue the project at the Maranello team —or if he might step aside to make room for the sport’s rising stars. For now, all eyes are on Ferrari’s next set of upgrades, which could determine whether Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can reignite their title hopes—or whether 2025 will become another year of missed opportunities in Maranello.
