Ferrari’s Singapore Grand Prix disappointment leaves Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc frustrated
Lewis Hamilton once again failed to secure his first podium as a Ferrari driver at the Singapore Grand Prix, as the team’s struggles extended far beyond the late brake issue he faced during the race. The 40-year-old Briton is now 18 rounds into his debut season with the Scuderia, yet the highlight of his campaign remains his F1 Sprint victory in China earlier this year in March. Over the past six Grands Prix, Hamilton has not finished higher than sixth, including a P8 finish in Singapore.
Lewis Hamilton initially crossed the line in seventh position at Marina Bay, but a post-race five-second penalty for exceeding track limits saw him demoted behind Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. The brake issue he encountered in the closing laps denied him the opportunity to challenge Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli for fifth place, while also forcing him to trail behind teammate Charles Leclerc as he struggled to nurse the car home. Interestingly, Charles Leclerc also experienced brake problems from Lap 7 but opted for a more conservative approach compared to Hamilton.
Ferrari hoped Singapore’s low-speed corners would mask SF-25 understeer
Motorsport.com reports that the issues Ferrari faced in Singapore were evident long before race day, beginning in Friday’s practice sessions. The Scuderia had pinned their hopes on the smooth, flowing corners of the Marina Bay Street Circuit to offset the SF-25’s chronic understeer, which has consistently challenged both Leclerc and Hamilton throughout the season. However, these hopes quickly dissipated after repeated unsuccessful experiments during practice.
Ferrari treated both FP1 and FP2 almost as extended test sessions, running multiple cross-tests with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to evaluate different setups. The team implemented numerous mechanical and aerodynamic adjustments during and between sessions, yet ultimately had to raise the car’s ride height to manage handling issues. Running the SF-25 higher than optimal compromised its performance further, failing to address the fundamental understeer problem.
The extensive experimentation highlighted Ferrari’s struggle to find a balance that could make the car competitive at Singapore. Despite their best efforts, no configuration eliminated the understeer that hampers the SF-25 in slow-speed corners. This left the Scuderia unable to capitalize on what was considered one of their more favorable circuits.
Leclerc’s last realistic chances for a 2025 win fade
For Charles Leclerc, the Singapore GP represented one of the team’s final realistic opportunities to secure a victory in 2025, with Ferrari the only one of the top four teams yet to claim a Grand Prix win this season. However, following repeated disappointments in Monza and Baku, internal expectations were tempered, and hope within the team appeared fragile.
Leclerc qualified seventh, 0.626 seconds off pole, and finished the race a distant 45.996 seconds behind Mercedes’ George Russell, who took victory from pole position. The Monegasque appeared resigned to the outcome, underscoring the growing frustration among drivers and team members alike. Ferrari chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna are expected to hold in-depth discussions at Maranello regarding the team’s underwhelming performance this season, reflecting the urgency to reassess strategies and development direction.
Earlier in the season, Charles Leclerc had identified Singapore, Azerbaijan, and Las Vegas as races where Ferrari could realistically contend for a win, aiming to avoid a winless season in 2025. Yet, the results at both Singapore and Azerbaijan—where Hamilton finished P8, 36.310 seconds behind the leader—highlighted the team’s inability to execute on these opportunities and remain competitive with the frontrunners.
The Singapore Grand Prix has once again exposed the limitations of the SF-25, leaving both drivers frustrated as Ferrari continues to search for solutions. The combination of persistent understeer, mechanical challenges, and strategic miscalculations has contributed to a season that falls short of both driver expectations and Ferrari’s ambitions.
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