A glass half full for Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari left the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix with a generally positive outcome. On Sunday, the Maranello-based team secured a strong result, with Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc finishing on the podium and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton making an impressive recovery from eighteenth to seventh place. This performance was particularly encouraging, given the Italian outfit’s struggles in past seasons when racing in wet and damp track conditions—conditions that characterized the early stages of the race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Significant work carried out on the rear suspension of the SF-25 single-seater seems to be paying off, as it offered both drivers improved feedback and handling. However, further validation will come soon, as the next round of the Formula 1 World Championship is set to take place in Hungary, where the team hopes to gather even more definitive data on the effectiveness of their updates.
In the meantime, Ferrari has managed to consolidate its second position in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship standings. The Italian team now enjoys a 28-point advantage over Mercedes and leads Red Bull Racing by 56 points.
Progress made with the Ferrari SF-25
Speaking in an interview with French broadcaster Canal Plus F1, Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expressed cautious optimism about the improvements seen during the race weekend at Spa. He explained: “I believe that over the course of this weekend, we took a small but important step forward. The beginning of the Grand Prix weekend was a bit difficult, but we eventually managed to find a consistent rhythm, and I’m pleased about that because we have invested a lot of effort into the latest updates on the car. It looks like these upgrades are beginning to deliver the desired results.”
Analyzing Lewis Hamilton’s performance
Lewis Hamilton’s return to the Belgian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver was far from smooth. The British driver experienced a challenging and frustrating Friday and Saturday, but he was able to turn things around with a strong performance in Sunday’s race. Frederic Vasseur acknowledged the emotional and sporting difficulties Hamilton encountered, stating: “I am very pleased for Lewis Hamilton, because after an extremely complicated start to the weekend, he delivered a superb race today. His performance allowed us to collect some valuable points, and I’m very happy for him personally as well.”
The French manager went on to add that the level of frustration was high—both for the driver and the entire team—given the potential Hamilton had shown early on. “The frustration was understandable. He had pace from the start of the weekend. In the Sprint Qualifying session, for example, he was five or six tenths of a second quicker than Charles Leclerc on the same lap. He would have advanced to Q2, if not for track limits infractions. So of course, that kind of situation builds up frustration, which is not easy to handle mentally or emotionally.”
Fred Vasseur emphasized that Lewis Hamilton responded well in challenging circumstances, showing the ability to stay composed, make the right strategic decisions, and recover positions through clean overtaking. “But in these kinds of conditions—tricky, unpredictable, where strategic choices can make the difference—he remained focused, climbed back through the field, and executed solid overtakes. Now the key is to put all the elements together, remain calm, and continue working as a united team.” – the French manager concluded.
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