Ferrari’s 2025 struggles: mechanics admit “we never celebrate” as team suffers winless season
Ferrari paid a steep price in 2025 for prioritizing the development of their 2026 regulations early in the season. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to win a single Grand Prix across all 24 rounds, leaving the iconic Maranello team far behind the championship pace.
Team principal Fred Vasseur reportedly decided in April to halt any aerodynamic upgrades for the SF-25 after realizing the team was significantly off the pace compared to McLaren. He considered focusing on the 2026 regulations to be a better strategic use of Ferrari’s wind tunnel allowances, despite the immediate consequences on the current car.
The Scuderia’s 2025 campaign was further compromised by their decision to prioritize a rear suspension upgrade over ongoing aerodynamic developments before freezing all updates. Unfortunately, the revised suspension failed to address the SF-25’s persistent ride height issues, leaving Ferrari struggling to compete with the top teams.
By the end of the season, Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, a staggering 435 points behind McLaren, who had narrowly beaten the Scuderia by just 14 points in the 2024 title race. Leclerc and Hamilton ended the year fifth and sixth in the drivers’ standings, scoring 242 and 156 points respectively.
Mechanic admits frustration after bleak 2025 season
Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari from Mercedes at the start of 2025 with the belief that the team had all the necessary ingredients to fight for the championship. However, his only moment of celebration came during the F1 Sprint victory in China at round two. For the first time in his 19-year Formula 1 career, the seven-time world champion failed to achieve a single Grand Prix podium in a season.
While Charles Leclerc reached the rostrum seven times, Ferrari’s internal morale remained low. A Ferrari mechanic reportedly conveyed to former Minardi driver Paolo Barilla that the team never celebrated despite the ongoing efforts. Barilla recounted in Quotidiano Sportivo that, after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he greeted a small group of Ferrari mechanics to offer his support. One mechanic responded by expressing his frustration, saying that the team “never celebrate,” revealing the depth of bitterness among staff despite their dedication and hard work.
Vasseur cannot fully blame 2026 focus for 2025 failures
Ferrari was the only one of F1’s big four teams to fail to secure at least one Grand Prix victory in 2025. McLaren achieved 14 wins, Red Bull eight, and Mercedes two. Leclerc did secure Ferrari’s only pole position of the year, but McLaren dominated with 13 poles, Red Bull matched with eight, and Mercedes took two.
The 2025 campaign marked Ferrari’s first winless season since 2021, and while Vasseur defended the decision to focus on 2026 regulations, it cannot entirely explain the team’s poor performance. McLaren, for instance, shifted their development priorities in July yet still benefited from their offseason suspension work, highlighting the gap in Ferrari’s approach.
Ferrari had expected to challenge McLaren after finishing just 14 points shy of the 2024 championship. Instead, while McLaren gained from revising their suspension setup over the winter, Ferrari’s changes exacerbated the SF-25’s chronic ride height problems.
Looking ahead to 2026, Ferrari plans to adopt McLaren’s suspension philosophy by switching back to push-rods on both axles instead of pull-rods under the new regulations. This significant technical shift aims to improve performance and, importantly for the team, restore morale, giving mechanics a reason to celebrate once more after a challenging 2025 campaign.
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