Double elimination in Q2, the eighth fastest team on the grid, and starting from 11th and 12th positions. Perhaps nothing more is needed to describe and comment on Ferrari’s dismal and, in some ways, humiliating performance at the end of qualifying for the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. The result—partial for now but unlikely to be overturned in the race—is merciless and shows how the Scuderia’s season is, by now clearly, a negative one and far from the rosy winter expectations. On the contrary, it seems marked by a slow, uncompetitive car that the engineers can’t understand and, most importantly, one that lacks the hidden potential that team principal Frederic Vasseur has long claimed exists—but that, to date, only he seems able to see. Moreover, in an attempt to fix things, the engineers are still experimenting with solutions for the car’s problems, reportedly trying something related to tyre warm-up procedures.
No outlook in sight
In truth, it became clear early on this season that things were not going well, but after Saturday’s collapse at Imola—which mirrors the Miami disaster—the picture now seems to be worsening. Likely because rivals are making progress, either by bringing upgrades or refining their packages, while the Prancing Horse remains stagnant and unable to move forward, still stuck trying to understand the enigmatic SF-25. And it’s solely the SF-25, because the drivers are entirely blameless: Charles Leclerc always tries to push beyond the limit, and Lewis Hamilton, having overcome most of his adaptation issues and begun performing at the same level as his teammate, also finds himself overwhelmed by the current situation. And both are ultimately unable to make up for the car’s shortcomings with their driving alone—without risking making things even worse.
The statistic that makes you think
But upon reflection, the 2025 season may be starting to be considered the worst in the Prancing Horse’s recent history. Even worse than 2020, which until now was widely regarded as Maranello’s annus horribilis. And that’s not an exaggeration—it’s backed by facts. Looking back at qualifying in Imola in 2020, the ill-fated SF1000 (crippled by the FIA’s directive aimed at limiting Ferrari’s “clever” fuel flow management) placed Charles Leclerc seventh, made it into Q3, and proved to be the fourth-fastest team. A result which, strange as it may seem, is far superior to what the SF-25 achieved—as mentioned at the start, eliminated in Q2 as the eighth-fastest car. There’s no point in sugar-coating it: we’ve witnessed one of the lowest moments in recent Scuderia history. This must lead to serious reflection in Maranello and, if possible, a resurgence after hitting rock bottom. Or else, the digging may continue, especially since there are still some internal problems that have not yet surfaced publicly…
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