Leclerc Capitalises on Verstappen’s Error as Ferrari Score Back-to-Back Podiums in Spain
Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc made the most of Max Verstappen’s misjudged safety car restart at the Barcelona Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya to clinch a crucial third-place finish, giving the Maranello team consecutive podiums for the first time this Formula 1 season. The result comes as a much-needed boost for the Maranello-based team, who continue to trail far behind McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
Despite their runner-up finish in the 2024 championship, Ferrari’s 2025 campaign has fallen short of expectations. Following the Spanish Grand Prix, the Scuderia now sit 197 points adrift of McLaren, with 165 points to the Woking team’s 362. Charles Leclerc has contributed 94 of those points, while teammate Lewis Hamilton has added 71, with his best result in Spain aided by Verstappen’s penalty after a collision with George Russell.
Ferrari’s internal strategy also played a role in their Montmelo success. Early in the race, the team instructed Hamilton to yield to Charles Leclerc on lap 10, as the Monegasque had a stronger pace and was being held up. That decision proved vital as the 27-year-old driver took advantage of Verstappen’s miscalculated restart, moving ahead before the Dutchman’s contact with George Russell further shuffled the order.
Fred Vasseur Downplays Ferrari’s Upgrade Plans to Manage Hype in Italy
Charles Leclerc’s third-place finish in Spain, following his P2 result in Monaco, marked a turning point for Ferrari’s 2025 campaign. However, team principal Fred Vasseur is choosing his words carefully to temper the excitement building around the team’s recent form. According to Auto Motor und Sport, Fred Vasseur declined to elaborate on Ferrari’s development schedule during the weekend in Barcelona, citing concerns over raising “excessive expectations” among fans and media in Italy.
The Ferrari team boss confirmed only that the Italian side do plan to bring updates to the SF-25, but he clarified that not all of them will be externally visible. The focus of the upgrades is expected to be mechanical rather than aerodynamic, as Ferrari aim to improve the car’s predictability and its ability to bring the Pirelli tyres into optimal operating range more quickly—an issue that has plagued Hamilton in particular.
One of the key components of Ferrari’s planned development is a new rear suspension system, scheduled for introduction at the Austrian Grand Prix. Engineers in Maranello hope this update will significantly enhance both drivers’ comfort and confidence, especially Hamilton’s, as the team continues to fine-tune the SF-25’s handling characteristics.
Charles Leclerc Remains Cautious About Ferrari’s Podium Prospects Despite Spanish GP Result
While the Monegasque driver welcomed his Spanish Grand Prix podium, he remained realistic about Ferrari’s current competitiveness. He expressed doubt that the team is yet in a position to fight consistently at the front, particularly in the absence of tangible upgrades.
Following the race, the 27-year-old shared his belief that Ferrari were fortunate to benefit from the timing of the safety car, which was deployed to recover Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s stricken Mercedes. Prior to that, Leclerc had been running fourth and was significantly off Max Verstappen’s pace—over 16 seconds adrift—even though he lost just a few seconds earlier in the race while stuck behind Hamilton.
Leclerc explained that without the intervention of the safety car, a fourth-place finish would have been the most realistic outcome. He also noted that while the team has begun to understand how to better set up the SF-25, they still require extreme configurations to extract performance, which makes the car less enjoyable and predictable to drive. Until Ferrari introduce meaningful upgrades, Leclerc feels podiums will remain circumstantial rather than consistent.
Red Bull’s decision to fit Verstappen with hard tyres during the safety car period—due to a lack of fresh alternatives—also played into Leclerc’s hands. Ferrari, meanwhile, gave Leclerc a fresh set of softs, allowing him to overtake Verstappen immediately after the lap 61 restart and pull out a 1.371s gap, aided by Max Verstappen’s scrap with George Russell.
Ferrari may have found some short-term relief in Spain, but unless their upgrades deliver real gains in performance and tyre management, both Leclerc and Hamilton could continue to face an uphill battle in their pursuit of podium finishes for the remainder of the 2025 season.
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