Ferrari gave everything in the qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix but it wasn’t enough. The usual issues related to car dynamics, combined with insufficient tire usage, prevented the two SF-25s from reaching maximum grip—a situation that continues to penalize the Maranello-based team. However, today, over the 300-kilometer distance, the Italian team aimed to exploit race pace and recover positions.
Ferrari loses time without explanation
On the starting grid, strategy was immediately discussed—particularly the tire warm-up, a necessary element to fully exploit the rubber on the first lap. After the usual checks, the Ferrari drivers boarded their cars. For the start, Ferrari did not diversify its approach: both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc began the race on Soft tires in the Barcelona heat. Both had a very good clutch release and gained positions.
From the onboard footage, it was clear that Charles Leclerc’s pace seemed superior to his teammate’s. For this reason, the Monegasque began appearing in Lewis Hamilton’s mirrors. At that moment, however, no strategic instructions were given: both drivers were left free to battle. Shortly after, Charles Leclerc asked whether they were following the so-called Plan A.
Bryan Bozzi avoided answering and simply asked him to increase lift and coast in an attempt to preserve the tires as much as possible. The Briton was struggling, but firmly resisted Charles Leclerc’s overtaking attempt in turn 1, with the Ferrari driver making a determined move. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, however, shut every door. Charles Leclerc didn’t hide his frustration: in his view, after compromising qualifying to prioritize race pace, the team should have ensured a clear track for him.
He didn’t care about the classic “how much faster are you?” question—he believed the seven-time world champion should have let him through regardless. Fortunately, the team understood the situation and allowed the position swap. However, the overtake happened at least two laps too late, during which both Ferraris lost valuable ground to the leading group. Leclerc’s gap to Norris—who was no faster than the Ferrari driver—approached six seconds. This time loss, caused by hesitation on the pit wall, should have been avoided at all costs.
Leclerc matches McLaren pace on Mediums
On lap seventeen, Lewis Hamilton was the first among the front-runners to pit. Medium tires were fitted to his car, and the Briton rejoined the track behind Liam Lawson, occupying ninth place. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc reported a noticeable performance drop over the radio. For this reason, on the next lap, the Monegasque was also called into the pits.
He requested a front-end balance adjustment and received a set of yellow-banded Pirelli mediums. Once back on track, he was in seventh place, ahead of Lawson. Bryan Bozzi shared a couple of assessments, then advised maintaining a pace of 1:20.2—a time that allowed for good competitiveness without overly stressing the Medium tires. One curious detail deserves mention.
Charles Leclerc was asked to stay to the right on the main straight to pick up marbles. This instruction was briefly mentioned, but the logic behind it wasn’t fully explained. For a few laps, car number 16 followed the instruction, but later abandoned it. Traction management was also flagged as crucial: the pit wall advised avoiding excessive throttle application out of corners to protect the tires.
Shortly after, both McLarens made their stops, while Max Verstappen had already pitted earlier, once again opting for Softs. Looking at the timing screens, Charles Leclerc’s pace stood out—he was perfectly matching McLaren’s lap times. His gap to Lando Norris had shrunk to 4.5 seconds. The situation was quite different for Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with a car that was hard to read.
His average lap times were 6–7 tenths slower than his teammate’s, especially in the first sector, where the Briton couldn’t interpret the SF-25’s behavior effectively. Making matters worse were the two laps of delay in the position swap, which slowed down the former Alfa Romeo driver. Without that lost time, he would likely be in DRS range of car number 4.
Ferrari plays the strategy card with the Mediums
At this stage of the race, the absolute priority was the overall management of the car—particularly the control of operating temperatures and correct tire usage, as the rubber needed to complete its lifecycle in the most efficient way. Frequent messages from the garage advised against pushing in certain parts of the track.
The goal was to avoid excessive throttle usage and to rely on lift and coast, also to conserve remaining fuel. By the race’s halfway point, it was clear that Hamilton was struggling to find the same feeling with the car as his teammate, from whom he was now twelve seconds adrift. The seven-time world champion vented on the radio.
He complained about having driven several laps with poor grip but also said he had regained a decent pace. Meanwhile, Max had already completed his second stop, switching to Mediums. His approach focused on a three-stop strategy, so he pushed to the limit. It was a risky choice, given that Pirelli had classified it as less effective than the two-stop option.
A few laps later, Charles Leclerc also came in for his second—and final—tire change. Once again, the number 16 Ferrari was fitted with a new set of Mediums. Upon rejoining, he found himself in fifth place, just behind his teammate. Bryan Bozzi immediately intervened, asking him to use lift and coast in turn 1, advising him to lift 15–20 meters before the usual point.
The instruction was repeated several times, indicating how crucial the team considered this aspect for race management. Some doubts remained about the early timing of Leclerc’s stop, but the pit wall reassured him that everything was under control. Hamilton, meanwhile, was kept out longer during his second stint to give him a final run on fresher, more effective tires.
Leclerc stuns Verstappen at the end
Charles Leclerc rejoined in fourth place, while Lewis Hamilton was sixth behind George Russell. The key point was the tire choice: Max Verstappen was on fresh Hards, while the Monegasque was on used Softs. This gave him an initial grip advantage, useful for attempting an attack. The 27-year-old seized the opportunity and took advantage of a small error by the Dutchman to complete the overtake.
Max Verstappen didn’t take it well and blamed Russell for having blocked him and forced him off-track. The battle between the two continued for a few laps, but in the meantime Charles Leclerc pulled away and consolidated third place. For Lewis Hamilton, the end was far less positive: he was passed by Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber and finished disappointingly behind. Despite a bittersweet aftertaste, Ferrari returned to the podium at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló for the first time in two seasons.
— see video above —
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