Ferrari paradox: no wins but the most expensive driver line-up
Ferrari has never truly been in contention for victory this season. The British champion is still chasing his first podium finish of 2025, and the team remains stuck at zero wins—a statistic that perfectly sums up the disappointment of a campaign that began with big ambitions but has quickly unraveled.
After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, round 17 of the championship, that painful zero continues to weigh heavily, especially when compared with the results of the other top teams. McLaren leads the way with twelve victories—seven for championship leader Oscar Piastri and five for Lando Norris. Red Bull has taken four wins, with Max Verstappen bouncing back into the title fight thanks to two consecutive victories, while Mercedes celebrated a single success with George Russell in Canada. Among the big names, Ferrari alone remains winless. This is in stark contrast to 2024, when the Scuderia claimed five wins and fought for the Constructors’ Championship right until the final rounds. Ahead of 2025, Ferrari was widely seen as the second force on the grid, expected to challenge for a title that has eluded Maranello since 2008.
A season of underwhelming performances
The lack of wins perfectly illustrates the struggles of the SF-25. Across every type of track—street circuits, permanent venues, wet conditions, dry conditions, hot or cold temperatures, fast or slow corners, high or low downforce layouts—Ferrari has failed to deliver. Despite small steps forward, the car has never been truly competitive, leaving the team unable to mount a real challenge for victory. The SF-25 has proven to be a car without standout strengths, with a very narrow operating window that makes it difficult to extract consistent performance.
This situation has made Lewis Hamilton’s debut season in red especially frustrating. The seven-time world champion has faced an uphill battle trying to balance performance and drivability. Reflecting after the Baku weekend, Hamilton admitted: “We’ve made progress, but the results in the last few races have been poor. The improvements are there, but we simply need to do a better job with optimization and execution.”
With just seven races remaining in 2025, Lewis Hamilton’s priority will be to finally return to the podium. That would allow him to maintain a remarkable record: since his debut in 2007, he has finished on the podium at least once in every Formula 1 season. Failing to do so with Ferrari—after expectations of a title challenge were set so high—would add another painful zero to accompany the one already sitting in the wins column.
The costliest duo on the grid
Even the star power of Ferrari’s 2025 driver line-up has not been enough to change the team’s fortunes. With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari boasts the most expensive pairing on the grid, with combined salaries of €70 million—€40 million for Hamilton and €30 million for Leclerc, not including bonuses. Yet without a competitive car, those investments have not translated into results.
Leclerc’s doubts and Ferrari’s future
Charles Leclerc, now in his seventh year with Ferrari, has appeared increasingly discouraged in recent races. His hopes of winning a Grand Prix before the end of the season are fading fast. The idea of even briefly joining the fight at the front feels more distant than ever. Next year could prove pivotal for Charles Leclerc’s career as Formula 1 prepares for a major rules reset in 2026. That season will mark the beginning of a new technical era, which could dramatically reshape the competitive order.
If Ferrari finally finds itself in a position to fight for the championship, Charles Leclerc’s long wait—watching others claim titles while he remains on the sidelines—may be rewarded. As he has repeated many times, “Winning with Ferrari is my obsession.” But if the team fails to deliver again, Leclerc may be forced to reassess his future.
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur remains confident, stating: “I’m not worried about next year. I believe we have a team capable of winning, but we must improve in every area and keep this approach.” For Ferrari, however, the alternative in 2026 cannot even be considered. The Scuderia must return to the top.
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