Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola has raised concerns about the setup choices made by Charles Leclerc at the 2025 British Grand Prix, warning that the aerodynamic configuration selected for the Ferrari SF-25 may be fundamentally flawed in certain race conditions.
Speaking on Race Anatomy, a post-race analysis show on Sky Sport, Mazzola offered an in-depth technical breakdown of Leclerc’s setup and the underlying reasons behind his difficult weekend at Silverstone.
Mazzola: “Leclerc’s setup only works in ideal conditions”
“Charles Leclerc has said that he’s pursuing a setup that gives him satisfaction in terms of pure performance—at least in dry conditions,” Mazzola began, pointing to the Monégasque driver’s own recent comments about his preferred direction with the car.
“The problem with that specific setup is that, if you follow what was done in the past, the front wing gets progressively stiffer as downforce increases,” he explained. “This configuration guarantees peak performance when conditions are ideal. However, the moment you move away from that ideal window, the car becomes even more difficult to handle.”
Mazzola’s analysis aligns perfectly with what unfolded during the race weekend at Silverstone. Charles Leclerc showed promising pace in the free practice sessions, held under dry and relatively stable conditions, but then struggled in qualifying and faced serious issues managing the car in Sunday’s wet race.
Setup risks high reward—but also major drawbacks
What is especially striking is that the very same setup direction that compromised Leclerc’s entire British Grand Prix is also the one that previously allowed him to secure four podium finishes earlier in the 2025 Formula 1 season. This contrast highlights the high-risk, high-reward nature of the aerodynamic path Leclerc has chosen.
However, while those four podiums might seem like a modest result given the high expectations that surrounded Scuderia Ferrari during the winter pre-season, they stand in stark contrast to the results of his teammate. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion and new addition to the Ferrari team this season, has yet to score a single podium.
In that light, Charles Leclerc’s results take on a very different significance, showing that while his approach may be inconsistent, it has at least delivered some tangible success in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for the team.
Should Leclerc adjust his approach?
The real question now is whether Charles Leclerc should reconsider the balance between extracting maximum performance and maintaining consistency, particularly in variable weather conditions or less predictable track scenarios. As Mazzola points out, setups that chase peak performance in optimal conditions often carry the cost of instability and unpredictability in changing environments.
And what do you think? Should Charles Leclerc aim for a more conservative, all-weather setup that sacrifices peak speed in favor of consistency? Or should he continue pushing for aggressive configurations, accepting the risks that come with them?
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