F1 | Ferrari aggressive in Abu Dhabi: strong setup chosen after Friday struggles
After a challenging Friday in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari opted for a more aggressive setup that paid off in qualifying.
During the final Friday of the year, the team radios from Ferrari’s two drivers had suggested yet another difficult weekend. However, in Abu Dhabi qualifying, some progress was visible for the Scuderia, thanks also to setup adjustments, as explained by Fred Vasseur.
Apart from Lewis Hamilton being eliminated in Q1 due to a mistake in the final part of his lap, Charles Leclerc finished fifth on the last Saturday of 2025, though not without some frustration. The feeling is that the Monegasque could have aimed for more than what he ultimately achieved. The credit goes to the SF-25, which, thanks to overnight work by the engineers, showed it could still be competitive, even with the World Championship in mind.
Vasseur explains Ferrari’s improvements
After qualifying, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur commented on Charles Leclerc’s performance and explained the work done overnight. “Overall, we are satisfied with Charles’ result because we faced significant difficulties in both Friday sessions. When it came to deciding on the setup, we chose a rather aggressive option, which paid off. Certainly, if Friday had gone better, perhaps we could have fought for an even higher position, but that’s how it went. Now we will see what happens tomorrow and how our race pace will be,” explained the former Alfa Romeo boss.
Whether the aggressive direction will hold up over 58 laps on Sunday remains the big unknown, but for the first time in several races Ferrari heads into a grand prix feeling genuinely competitive rather than simply damage-limiting.
In a season that has so often disappointed, that counts as a small victory – and proof that, when the team takes risks, the 2025 car can still surprise.
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