Ferrari Struggles to Keep Title Hopes Alive as Hidden Power Steering Problem Emerges
As the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship reaches its halfway point, Scuderia Ferrari is coming to terms with the reality that their chances of winning either the Drivers’ or Constructors’ titles are slipping out of reach. Internally, the team is fully aware that the odds of challenging for championship glory this season have drastically diminished.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton currently trail the championship leader, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, by 115 and 131 points respectively. Neither Ferrari driver has yet secured a Grand Prix victory this season, and although Lewis Hamilton delivered a memorable Sprint Race win in Shanghai, that achievement is now a distant memory.
The sense of urgency at Ferrari has grown sharper after the British Grand Prix, where Hamilton was unable to overtake Nico Hülkenberg’s Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber — a scenario that would have seemed unthinkable just one year ago. This stagnation has sparked renewed frustration within the Maranello-based outfit, particularly over the design direction taken during the winter development phase.
According to internal sources, Ferrari now regrets making such substantial alterations to the SF-25 during the off-season. The team transitioned from a push-rod suspension setup to a pull-rod configuration, and Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur had openly acknowledged that approximately 99 percent of the 2025 car would be revised over the winter break.
The result of these sweeping changes has been a car with an alarmingly narrow operating window, one that struggles to perform consistently across different track conditions. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have found it difficult to follow competitors in turbulent air, a problem that has compounded Ferrari’s inability to compete at the front.
To address some of these performance limitations, Ferrari is preparing to introduce a significant rear suspension upgrade at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix. However, this is not the only development in the pipeline. Another update, more discreet but potentially just as crucial, is also being prepared to resolve a steering issue that has quietly plagued the SF-25 throughout the season.
Ferrari Preparing Steering Fix for Unspoken Driver Concerns Before Summer Break
At Silverstone, it became evident that Ferrari had been managing a “secret” power steering issue — a problem that had not been openly discussed by the team or the drivers. Charles Leclerc, during a media session, hinted at a peculiar behavior in the car but deliberately held back from revealing specifics. He indicated that the problem was not related to balance or grip, but was instead something highly unusual and difficult to cope with, especially at high-speed corners.
The nature of the issue, while never officially confirmed by the Scuderia, reportedly affects the drivers’ confidence during high-speed directional changes. The added strain in fast corners has created additional difficulty for both Leclerc and Hamilton, who have been forced to adapt their driving styles to compensate for the car’s inconsistencies.
An in-depth report from the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport shed more light on Ferrari’s behind-the-scenes efforts to fix the power steering problem. According to the report, the team has been working on a solution that is significantly more affordable than the costly rear suspension overhaul currently under testing. While the rear suspension components are undergoing trials during a private filming day at the Mugello circuit, the steering system fix is not expected to be ready before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Despite being labeled a minor update in financial terms, the power steering solution could prove critical to unlocking greater performance from the SF-25. If successful, it may restore confidence to both drivers in high-speed sections — a particularly valuable improvement with Ferrari’s home race at Monza approaching in September.
Lewis Hamilton Takes Active Role in Ferrari’s Mid-Season Recovery
Lewis Hamilton’s involvement in Ferrari’s testing programme has also been notable. Traditionally, the seven-time world champion has been less inclined than some of his rivals — such as Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen — to participate in extensive simulator work or private test sessions. However, Hamilton has taken an unusually proactive role in Maranello’s recovery process.
Sources within the team have indicated that the British driver is fully aware of the limited timeframe he has to add an eighth world title to his career tally. With his current Ferrari contract set to expire at the end of 2026, Hamilton understands that he may only have one or two realistic shots left at championship glory.
Ferrari has reportedly been impressed by Hamilton’s level of commitment and his willingness to integrate himself fully into the Scuderia’s culture and development path. Since his high-profile switch from Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, Hamilton has pushed hard behind the scenes to help the team regain competitiveness.
Despite some pundits — including former Formula 1 driver and analyst Jolyon Palmer — raising doubts about Hamilton’s race pace this season, the broader consensus remains that the SF-25 has simply not been a race-winning machine. The British driver’s testing efforts underline his belief in the project and his determination to turn Ferrari’s fortunes around.
With the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix on the horizon, Ferrari will be hoping that their planned updates — both the visible and the more secretive — can collectively address the fundamental weaknesses of their 2025 challenger. For Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the next few races could be decisive in determining whether a victory is still possible this season or whether attention will inevitably turn to the next development cycle ahead of the 2026 regulation reset.
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