Ferrari endure nightmare Dutch Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton crash out
Ferrari faced a catastrophic weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton retiring from the race. The Maranello squad had been hoping for a post-summer revival at Zandvoort, but the weekend quickly turned into one of the most frustrating of their 2025 season.
The Italian team has endured a difficult first half of the year, with the Hungarian Grand Prix epitomising their struggles: Charles Leclerc fell back from pole position, while Hamilton could only manage a disappointing P12. For Zandvoort, Leclerc and Hamilton qualified fifth and seventh respectively, unable to match the pace of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who impressed with fourth on the grid.
Qualifying brought mixed emotions. The Monegasque expressed disappointment with his P5 slot, while Hamilton maintained a relatively positive outlook. By the end of the race, however, both drivers shared the same grim result, crashing out at separate incidents on the technical track.
Lewis Hamilton’s unusual crash highlights Ferrari’s struggles
The Briton suffered a rare and “very unusual” crash on lap 23. While negotiating the banked Turn 3, he ran onto a wet line on the outside, lost control of the rear end, and slammed into the wall. Moments later, his Maranello teammate pitted, but the safety car neutralised any potential advantage he might have gained.
Charles Leclerc’s race ended by radio miscommunication
The Monegasque driver had been holding fifth place before being called into the pits for soft tyres. On his return to the track, he immediately found himself battling Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli clipped the rear tyre of Leclerc’s car, spinning the Ferrari into the barrier and ending his race.
Antonelli later apologised to Leclerc in the paddock. However, the radio messages before the incident revealed that the crash could have been avoided. Leclerc had clearly indicated a desire to remain on the hard tyres, stating they felt stable in the unpredictable conditions. Race engineer Bryan Bozzi asked for clarification: “Do you mean to stay out?” to which Leclerc confirmed, “Yeah, let’s stay out, let’s try.” Despite this, Bozzi instructed him to pit, saying, “Box, Charles, box, we want to try to cover Antonelli,” ultimately putting him directly in the path of the Mercedes before the crash occurred.
Radio communication has been a persistent issue for Ferrari all season. Hamilton has faced similar challenges with race engineer Riccardo Adami, struggling to establish a consistent communication rhythm, which has led to missed opportunities and mounting frustration. Leclerc experienced a comparable scenario in Budapest, when ignoring his calls cost him a podium. Clearly, Ferrari have yet to resolve this fundamental flaw, which continues to impact their results in 2025.
Leclerc describes Dutch GP weekend as ‘hell’ for Ferrari
Leclerc’s frustration boiled over after Hamilton’s crash brought the safety car onto the track. He vented his anger over lost opportunities, describing the weekend as chaotic from start to finish. Ferrari left Zandvoort without scoring a single point, marking their first double retirement since last year’s Canadian Grand Prix and leaving them 324 points behind McLaren in the championship standings.
Speaking to Canal+, the 27-year-old explained the challenges he faced: “It was hell this weekend, from FP1 to the race. Performance was slightly better in the race, but the car is very complicated to drive. You have to be ultra-aggressive, which I was, especially during battles with Russell at the start and on another occasion.”
Looking ahead, Ferrari will be desperate to rebound at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. In front of the passionate Tifosi, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will aim to deliver a strong performance and provide the team with the kind of memorable results that delighted fans last season.
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