Ferrari came into the 2025 Formula One season with a car that was not up to par with those of McLaren, Red Bull, or even Mercedes. Instead of fighting for podiums, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc seemed to be fighting for any points at all. The situation was dire until the last couple of races, in which the team managed to achieve a few much-needed podiums. Could Ferrari return to the fight for race wins and pole positions?
Before the 2025 season began, the Tifosi were brewing with excitement. Ferrari had just signed Hamilton, arguably the most well-known driver in the history of the sport, and their car was looking quite competitive at the end of the previous season. There were grounds to believe that the team could be fighting for one or maybe even both titles.
While Ferrari’s showing in Australia left a lot to be desired, hope was restored in China, where Hamilton won the sprint race and lifted the trophy dressed in red for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, after the unexpected victory, the team’s struggles returned, stronger than ever before. Neither driver scored a podium in Japan or Bahrain, with Leclerc just barely missing out and finishing fourth on both occasions. The Monegasque did manage to finish third in Saudi Arabia, but his teammate could not finish higher than P7.
The situation quickly went from bad to worse. In Miami, the two Ferrari cars crossed the finish line in 8th and 7th place. A week later, the team hit its lowest point of the season. In the first of Ferrari’s two Italian home races, neither driver made it through to Q2. Both managed to make up places during Sunday’s race, but there was no podium to celebrate for the devoted Tifosi.
Ferrari’s season seemed to pick up after the disastrous Italian weekend. Leclerc managed to stand on the podium of his home Grand Prix. A week later, he finished third for the second time in a row. While Hamilton didn’t quite manage to match his achievements, he also scored some great points. Their efforts, combined with Mercedes’ struggle, pushed Ferrari to P2 in the constructors’ standings.
Their streak of great performance was slightly shaken in Canada, but the team returned to the podium in Austria. This meant that they had finished in the top three in three out of the four most recent Grand Prix.
Ferrari has introduced many upgrades to their infamous SF-24, and at least a few of them seem to be doing the job of improving the car’s overall performance. At the beginning of the season, the team was closer to going out in Q2 than they were to winning races, but now the tides seem to have turned in their favor. Slowly but surely, the Italian giants are putting themselves back in contention.
There are still some issues that plague their race weekends. For multiple weeks now, the quick Leclerc has been told to ‘lift and coast’ during races, to prevent his brakes from overheating. While the strategy does take care of the brakes, it also severely impacts the car’s pace. In Austria, Leclerc finished the race almost 20 seconds behind the two McLarens, and the ‘LICO’ he was told to do was at least partially to blame.
So, could the performance improvement be a sign of good things to come? Yes, as long as the team also finds ways to combat the issues that seem to be following them since the start of the season.
The chances of Ferrari winning either championship in 2025 are close to zero. They are simply too far behind the rapid McLaren. There is a light, though, at the end of the tunnel. If the team can keep steadily improving with each weekend, they might just turn the season around.
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