Conditions change and rivals evolve, yet the script remains the same, unchanged over the months since the start of the season. As has been the case for the past eighteen races, during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend Ferrari, after showing some positive signs in practice sessions (with a Friday of highs and lows but still encouraging), was unable to deliver a weekend that met expectations or satisfied the team.
The collapse, as usual, began in qualifying, which placed the team in the uncomfortable position of having to plan — as much as possible — a comeback race. But in reality, the comeback never materialized, as the SF-25 failed to go beyond sixth place for Charles Leclerc and ninth for Lewis Hamilton, on a track where Ferrari had expected to perform well and, at minimum, beat Mercedes — who ultimately dominated the race.
History repeating itself
After practice sessions where the Ferrari cars — likely running extreme ride heights before making adjustments in qualifying to avoid penalties for floor wear — seemed competitive, the reality check came at the end of qualifying. The SF-25 once again showed it was not competitive even on supposedly friendly tracks, at least on paper. Charles Leclerc had already mentioned these issues on Saturday, referencing necessary modifications made to the car — a clear nod to the increased ride heights for the reasons mentioned.
Beyond these adjustments, Ferrari drivers also faced major brake issues that forced both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc into heavy lift-and-coast management. Combined with the SF-25’s lack of straight-line speed, this created the perfect storm for a disappointing Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton left frustrated
Leclerc himself highlighted the issue in an interview with Sky Sport F1, pointing out that extreme brake temperature management was behind the Marina Bay debacle. He explained, “I think we lost about 15 seconds to Mercedes at the end. We had to manage the brakes throughout the race. Everyone did, but our management was excessive.”
Unfortunately, this management strategy was not enough for Lewis Hamilton. After a strong comeback attempt, he lost control of the situation, finishing the race with brakes literally on fire and even receiving a five-second penalty for cutting corners due to the car’s limited drivability. Hamilton expressed his frustration and surprise about these issues to his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, at the end of the race.
Adami: “P9, we received a five-second penalty for track limits.”
Hamilton: “I couldn’t brake properly. The brakes weren’t working, the pedal was to the floor. Surely, this isn’t a penalty when it’s a force majeure situation. It’s the first time I’ve had brake issues. It was really difficult. I’m sorry to lose points…”
