Lewis Hamilton heads to Monza this weekend for his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, following a disappointing DNF at last Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, now 40, continues to chase his first podium in red, extending his streak to 15 races without a top-three finish after he collided with the outside wall at Turn 3 on Lap 23 of 72. The incident occurred when the rear of Hamilton’s SF-25 lost traction on the damp painted advertisement section of the Zandvoort circuit.
Ferrari endured a double DNF at Zandvoort, compounding the frustration for the Maranello squad. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli misjudged an overtaking opportunity on Charles Leclerc at Turn 3 on Lap 53, understeering into the Monegasque and spinning him out. As a result, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc failed to score, leaving Ferrari with just a 12-point buffer over Mercedes in the fight for second place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship. Red Bull trail Ferrari by 46 points ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari ‘convinced’ they can challenge McLaren at Monza
Despite being the only team among the 2025 F1 championship front-runners yet to secure a race victory, Ferrari remains optimistic about Monza. Motorsport.com reports that internally, the Maranello team is “convinced” that the SF-25 could challenge McLaren at their home race, even if no one is publicly willing to voice such expectations. McLaren have dominated 12 of the 15 Grands Prix so far, with Oscar Piastri claiming his seventh win of the season at the Dutch GP. The McLaren duo of Piastri and Lando Norris have secured nine pole positions in 2025, while Leclerc nabbed Ferrari’s only pole at the Hungarian GP by a narrow 0.026 seconds over Piastri.
Ferrari engineers are confident that the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza’s layout will suit the SF-25. The high-speed, flat surface of Monza allows Ferrari to run Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars lower to the ground, potentially mitigating the SF-25’s known weaknesses and hiding “serious flaws” that have hampered their performance on other circuits this season. Leclerc is familiar with success at Monza, having won the Italian GP in both 2019 and 2024.
Monza could allow Ferrari to mask SF-25’s weaknesses
The Scuderia has put significant preparation into this weekend, believing that Monza’s smooth surface enables a lower ride height without causing excessive plank wear—a persistent challenge throughout the 2025 season. The low ride height is crucial for extracting pace from the SF-25, and the team learned at Zandvoort that careful adjustments can prevent floor plank degradation even when pushing the car’s limits.
With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both retiring in the Netherlands, Ferrari take solace in the positive data gathered regarding ride height management. This insight boosts their confidence that the SF-25 can perform optimally at Monza. The team now dreams of securing their record-extending 21st Italian Grand Prix victory, a feat unmatched by any other team in Formula 1 history, as no other constructor has surpassed 11 wins at the Temple of Speed.
Charles Leclerc’s 2024 Italian GP victory highlighted Ferrari’s strategic acumen. Capitalising on Oscar Piastri overtaking Norris at the start to split the McLaren cars, the Scuderia executed a flawless one-stop strategy to bring the win home. With Hamilton now joining the squad at Monza, Ferrari aim to leverage both drivers’ strengths and the SF-25’s suitability to the high-speed Italian circuit in a bid to finally secure their first victory of the 2025 season.
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