Ferrari is second in the 2025 Formula 1 Constructors Championship after the Spanish Grand Prix. Should that be a reason for satisfaction? Let’s not kid ourselves. One other way of looking at it is that Ferrari is first among the losers. After a third of the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Maranello team has no real objective other than to make an increasingly bitter season feel less painful — one that had started with very different ambitions. After just nine rounds, the team led by Andrea Stella has scored more than double Ferrari’s points. The sense of discomfort surrounding the Prancing Horse is evident in Lewis Hamilton’s remarks.
A champion known for his mood swings, Lewis Hamilton showed a listless attitude all weekend during the Spanish Grand Prix days, starting as early as Thursday. Not even during Mercedes’ darkest days in recent years had we seen the seven-time world champion so resigned. On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc once again threw everything he had into the fight, snatching an unexpected podium at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona also thanks to a gift from Red Bull.
The Monegasque champion even went so far as to sacrifice his main strength — his qualifying speed — in an attempt to fight for something more meaningful than just a Sunday result. It is truly difficult to recall a podium that felt so unrewarding for both Ferrari and the Monaco-born driver.
Did Ferrari really believe in TD018? After the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur claimed that Barcelona would bring a “performance reset for everyone.” And indeed, the balance of power did shift, giving the Woking team a clear opportunity to break away from the pack. The new technical directive was also the official reason for why no aerodynamic updates were introduced on the SF-25 single-seater last weekend.
According to the French manager, introducing developments at the same time as the TD018 technical directive came into effect was not the right approach. In hindsight, one could argue that the technical directive had virtually no impact on the overall performance balance among the cars. The field remained largely similar to what we saw starting from the Australian Grand Prix.
Most likely, the Maranello engineers and technicians always knew that TD018 would not boost the SF-25’s competitiveness. It was just a matter of waiting, because the interventions on project 677 are ongoing and require more time than an aerodynamic upgrade package based on a well-born car.
Thanks to Mercedes’ decline — even in terms of reliability — and a Red Bull Racing team essentially operating with just one competitive car, the historic Italian outfit has surprisingly climbed to second in the Constructors’ standings. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are doing what they can, each in their own way, collecting points like firewood. It is somewhat reminiscent of Mercedes in the 2023 Formula 1 championship.
A team that finished second in the Constructors’ without winning a single race, light-years behind what may have been the most dominant Red Bull in the history of modern Formula 1. Unlike what happened 3 years ago, Ferrari’s runner-up position — one that now looks increasingly secure — is a reheated, flavorless dish.
Frederic Vasseur has reshaped the team structurally and in key roles. It is only fair to assess him calmly, but also objectively. The Italian team’s sporting project aimed for immediate success with Lewis Hamilton’s signing, as the seven-time world champion would never have joined a long-term rebuild. If victories do not come this year — and that seems highly likely at this point of the championship — any narrative other than failure is unacceptable. Clinging to wishful thinking in an effort to find something positive in a disappointing season simply will not do. Even runner-up finishes carry a technical meaning that reflects the team’s actual level.
A second place in the Constructors’ standings — and perhaps a win or two this season — cannot and must not sugarcoat a bitter pill. Real progress in approach and mentality comes primarily from a clear-eyed evaluation of results. Anything less leads nowhere in Formula 1.
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