Ferrari’s big setback in 2025 F1: lack of progress and persistent car problems

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-25, rear, garage, 2025 F1

“If we look at our engineers, there is no doubt the car has improved. But looking at the rest, it is not up to standard. We have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less.” John Elkann’s comments have caused quite a stir. The Ferrari president spoke last Monday during an event celebrating the partnership between the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Committee and Stellantis. Three days later, reactions—especially from the UK—have continued. Reading John Elkann’s words, the Scuderia’s season so far might appear as a missed opportunity for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.But is that really the case? Is Elkann correct in pointing out that the engineers handed Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton a car better than in 2024, to the extent that the drivers themselves are expected to focus more on driving and less on talking? Looking at the SF-25’s performance, doubts arise. Despite Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton remaining winless, the car that was supposed to fight for the title has proven underpowered and difficult to set up throughout the season. This was evident as early as the Chinese Grand Prix, the second round of the year. On that weekend, Hamilton took pole for the Sprint and won the short race—his only real highlight of 2025 so far. But technical problems emerged on Sunday. Ferrari engineers, lowering the car in search of maximum downforce, discovered excessive wear on the skid plate beneath the chassis. The irregular wear led to Hamilton’s disqualification for a technical infringement, followed by Leclerc for an underweight car. John Elkann described the Brazilian GP as “a great disappointment,” but that double disqualification arguably represented an even worse moment. Maranello realized the real challenge was making the SF-25 more stable over variations in ride height, turning every race into a puzzle. Even the new rear suspension introduced in Belgium by the technical staff led by Loic Serra failed to fully solve the issues.

Ferrari’s negative streak

The reality is that Elkann’s harsh comments toward Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are hard to justify, given that Ferrari has not won a Drivers’ Championship since 2007 and the Constructors’ title since 2008. The last world champion was Kimi Räikkönen, who the following year, along with Felipe Massa, delivered the Constructors’ title to the Scuderia. Since then, a series of technical cycles, driver changes, and staff adjustments have resulted in a long pursuit of success that has often slipped away. In 2010, for example, a strategic error in Abu Dhabi cost Fernando Alonso a fifth-place finish needed to beat Sebastian Vettel by only four points. In 2012, the bitter ending again came in Brazil, with Alonso narrowly beaten by Vettel for three points. In 2014, the introduction of turbo-hybrid power units exposed further Ferrari missteps, while Mercedes built a dominant cycle lasting until 2021.

During this period, Ferrari saw a transition from Luca Montezemolo to Sergio Marchionne as president, and after Marchionne’s passing in July 2018, Elkann took over. Since then, Ferrari has still been chasing a championship. Driver pairings evolved from Vettel-Räikkönen to Vettel-Leclerc in 2019, then Leclerc-Sainz from 2021 to 2024, and now Leclerc-Hamilton. In 2019, under Elkann, Ferrari reached a confidential agreement with the FIA over a disputed flow meter attempt that reportedly boosted the power of Vettel and Leclerc’s car beyond rivals’ reach, resulting in two disappointing seasons in 2020 and 2021. The Scuderia hoped to rebound with the 2022 regulation changes, and after an encouraging start with two wins in the first three races, Red Bull and Max Verstappen pulled ahead, with Ferrari unable to respond technically. The Constructors’ title near-miss in 2024 cannot fully redeem this recent stretch of Ferrari history.

“We still have important races ahead, and second place is not impossible,” Elkann concluded in his controversial remarks. If the president’s goal was, even somewhat sharply, to motivate the entire team, this will be revealed over the final three races of 2025 and especially in 2026, when a technical regulation revolution will arrive. Another decisive moment—engineers included—for a Ferrari chasing speed, victories, and perhaps even greater cohesion.