Why Ferrari fails to unlock the SF-25’s traction potential at Marina Bay | Singapore GP insights. Ferrari continues to struggle in Formula 1 as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc face a tough qualifying session in Singapore.

Ferrari has stumbled once again in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc found themselves far from the top during a difficult qualifying session in Singapore. Yet again, the weaknesses of the Italian car came to light, along with the team’s inability to correct or at least minimize them. The result is another wasted performance and a race that promises to bring the usual struggles caused by starting further back on the grid.

An unmanageable SF-25

The negative trend seen during free practice sessions was confirmed in Q3. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, 0.530s behind George Russell’s Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc was right behind him in seventh. A significant gap, especially on a circuit where traction and tire management are key factors that can make or break qualifying.

Hamilton’s weekend showed only partial progress. After a promising FP1, the SF-25 turned into a nervous and unpredictable car, difficult to read and with an unstable tire temperature window. The rear end in particular proved inconsistent. FP3 brought slight improvements — less understeer on corner entry — but the car still suffered from strong oversteer on exit, forcing Hamilton to make continuous steering corrections to keep the car under control.

Telemetry comparison with his former teammate highlighted the performance gap. In the first sector alone, Hamilton lost 0.291s over the opening two corners, where Russell’s Mercedes benefited from a sharper and more responsive front end during quick direction changes. The W15 was able to bring its tires into the optimal working window, while Hamilton had to begin his lap with brakes that were already too hot — a factor that compromised his first braking zone.

The same issue extended to corner entries. The second sector remains the SF-25’s main weak spot, with another 0.263s lost. Between Turns 8 and 9, traction plays a decisive role, but Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggled badly. The British driver was forced to make several counter-steering inputs as the rear end slid and failed to transfer power smoothly and progressively to the track surface.

The rear tires tended to slip, causing lateral movement of the rear axle and a resulting loss of stability. Telemetry data confirmed this problem beyond doubt: the Mercedes speed curve (shown in blue) consistently stayed ahead of Ferrari’s (shown in red). Russell’s car displayed a much more stable rear end, able to deliver power in a linear and controlled manner.

Ferrari’s unexpressed performance

Even in terms of longitudinal grip — during both braking and acceleration — the difference was clear. Russell’s Mercedes W15 achieved higher G-force peaks, which translated into shorter braking distances and faster transitions back to full throttle. This allowed the car to complete cleaner, more efficient laps. It’s no surprise that another piece of data confirmed Ferrari’s issues.

Hamilton’s braking usage percentage per lap was 1.5% higher than Russell’s. This not only suggests a suboptimal braking setup but also points to a lack of front-end sharpness during corner entry. The SF-25’s front end lacked reactivity and precision, forcing Hamilton to push the car aggressively into turns to get it to rotate.

Meanwhile, George Russell’s Mercedes W15 appeared perfectly balanced, maintaining stability between the front and rear axles and keeping its tire temperature window consistent for the entire lap. His driving looked smooth, controlled, and free from visible corrections — a sign of a car that offers confidence and allows its driver to extract its full mechanical grip potential.

Hamilton, for his part, showed determination and commitment from Q1 onward, constantly pushing for the limit. However, the SF-25 remains a difficult car to understand — nervous, sensitive at the rear, and inconsistent from corner to corner. Tire management continues to be Ferrari’s biggest technical headache. The car changes behavior from one sector to another, preventing the consistency of performance needed to compete at the front.

In today’s race, tire behavior will be even more critical. At Singapore, where thermal degradation is one of the toughest challenges of the season, the problems seen in qualifying could become even more severe over a race distance. Drivers and engineers will have to work hard to keep tire temperatures and performance within an acceptable range — but Ferrari could suffer significantly once again.