Ferrari shows major improvement at COTA, but a question remains: “This is what worries me”

Ferrari shows major improvement at COTA, but a question remains: “This is what worries me”. Charles Leclerc secured a podium for Ferrari at the Austin GP.

Ferrari SF-25 rear view, engine, power unit, 2025 F1

The 2025 United States Grand Prix at Austin ended with Charles Leclerc taking a podium for Ferrari, while his teammate secured fourth place. After a weekend that began on a difficult note, the Scuderia managed to turn things around across Saturday and Sunday. Ferrari attributed this revival to superior tyre management, although some doubts remain.

Friday challenges set the stage for uncertainty

The Austin weekend initially started poorly, with a gearbox problem affecting car #16 during the only Friday practice session. Despite some optimism heading into Sprint Qualifying, the reality exposed the SF-25’s struggles over a single lap. Both drivers faced difficulties throughout the three qualifying rounds, ultimately finishing in eighth and tenth positions. However, from the Sprint race onward, the scenario of the weekend began to change dramatically.

The debate between tyre strategy and luck

After the checkered flag on Saturday, Leclerc admitted he was not entirely sure what had caused the sudden improvement in the SF-25’s performance. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur later commented that the team had been able to better exploit the potential of the Pirelli tyres. Yet, this explanation raised some concerns for former Ferrari driver and current Sky Italia commentator Ivan Capelli.

Ivan Capelli highlighted that greater clarity on the exact reasons behind Ferrari’s turnaround would be helpful. He told Sky Italia: “It would help even more if both drivers and engineers knew precisely the motivation, beyond what Fred [Vasseur] said about tyres warming up more or less.”

Ivan Capelli’s main concern is that the performance gain seems somewhat unclear. “It seems to me that once again [the performance] emerged from something found by chance rather than through a clear process. That is what worries me,” he added, reflecting on the unexpected SF-25 resurgence at COTA.

As Ferrari celebrates a strong weekend in Texas, these insights from Ivan Capelli emphasize the importance of understanding whether performance improvements are consistent and repeatable, or if they result from fortuitous conditions during the race. This debate may carry implications for future races and strategy planning as the team aims to maintain momentum for the remainder of the season.