Ferrari are aiming for a marked resurgence in performance as the 2025 Formula 1 season enters its second half. With twelve race weekends completed, Scuderia Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton currently occupy fifth and sixth positions respectively in the Drivers’ Championship standings — a situation that reflects both the team’s potential and its underlying challenges.
Despite not having secured a single Grand Prix victory so far this year, Ferrari find themselves in the unusual but somewhat encouraging position of holding second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Their most notable achievement to date remains Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint Race victory in Shanghai, a result that stands as a testament to the car’s flashes of competitiveness but also highlights the lack of outright race-winning pace.
Optimism is growing within the Maranello-based team as they prepare to introduce a significant rear suspension upgrade at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix. This update follows the recent rollout of a redesigned floor, which debuted at the Red Bull Ring with encouraging results. Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur and his technical department are continuing to invest considerable time, financial resources, and engineering focus into the development of the SF-25, particularly in light of the sweeping regulation changes expected for the 2026 season.
It appears that the team is now attempting to regain ground lost during the winter break, when Ferrari made bold and extensive changes to the car’s overall concept. According to F1 journalist and broadcaster Lawrence Barretto, there is growing introspection within Ferrari’s senior ranks regarding some of the technical decisions made ahead of the current campaign. Following a highly successful 2024 season, there was a belief that the team had been on the verge of competing seriously for the Constructors’ Championship. However, the path they chose during the off-season may have taken them a step backwards instead of forward.
Barretto explained on the F1 Nation Podcast that Ferrari’s upcoming rear suspension upgrade, scheduled for Spa-Francorchamps, could be the turning point they have been searching for. He suggested that within the team, there now appears to be some regret over the aggressive change in design philosophy that coincided with Lewis Hamilton’s highly publicised arrival from Mercedes at the start of the 2025 season. The team altered significant elements of their car’s architecture, a gamble that Barretto believes has not paid off so far. While such radical decisions always carry the potential to deliver a breakthrough, he noted that Ferrari’s redesign has instead resulted in a loss of performance and consistency.
According to Barretto, there is visible frustration within the team about the outcome of those choices. He noted that Ferrari had come extremely close to fighting for — and possibly winning — the Constructors’ title last year, and their deviation from that trajectory has proven costly. However, he also acknowledged that recent upgrades have brought some much-needed progress. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have reportedly begun to feel more comfortable behind the wheel, which bodes well for the remaining races of the season.
Looking further ahead, Ferrari’s prospects for the 2026 Formula 1 season appear far more promising. As all ten current teams — and the anticipated eleventh entrant, Cadillac — shift their focus toward the future, the development race for next year’s car has intensified. The upcoming regulation overhaul includes a new generation of power units, which will rely more heavily on electrical energy, as well as a completely revised aerodynamic rulebook that is already posing technical headaches across the grid.
Legendary designer Adrian Newey recently predicted that every team would face significant challenges adapting to the scale of these changes, warning that the transformation required is far more drastic than most expect. Yet despite those concerns, Ferrari’s 2026 project is reportedly progressing well. Their concept is believed to be in a “very good” state of development, offering hope that both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc could be in genuine contention for the World Championship when the new era begins.
In the meantime, however, Ferrari must navigate a highly complex present. Lewis Hamilton’s struggles during his debut season with the Italian team cannot be entirely attributed to car performance. Many of the difficulties he has encountered — including confusion over certain car behaviours — would likely have emerged regardless of where Ferrari stood in the standings. Among the factors affecting Hamilton’s adaptation is a braking system different from what he used at Mercedes, as well as a chassis setup that requires a higher ride height to prevent excessive plank wear. These elements have compromised his ability to extract the performance he typically expects.
Team Principal Fred Vasseur’s leadership is now under increasing scrutiny as Ferrari evaluates its direction going forward. One of the most controversial aspects of the team’s 2025 campaign has been its decision to redesign nearly 99% of the car compared to the previous year. That move, while ambitious, may ultimately prove to be a pivotal factor in whether or not Vasseur retains his role for 2026 and beyond.
With several key upgrades still planned and a renewed push for results in the remaining rounds — including the season finale in Abu Dhabi — much will depend on how Ferrari closes out this turbulent campaign. For Vasseur, Leclerc, and Hamilton alike, the next stretch of races will be critical in shaping both the short-term trajectory and the long-term ambitions of Scuderia Ferrari.
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