Charles Leclerc has openly acknowledged the difficulties Ferrari faces as the team approaches the final six races of the 2025 Formula 1 season. His comments reflect growing concerns over the persistent performance issues that have left Ferrari trailing behind key rivals like Mercedes and Red Bull.
Since the summer break, Ferrari’s progress has stalled, accumulating just six more points than Williams and falling further behind in the battle for second place in the constructors’ championship. The recent Singapore Grand Prix highlighted these challenges, with the team forced to carefully manage severe brake overheating during the race, especially as Lewis Hamilton aggressively pressed on softer tyres in the concluding laps.
Leclerc Expresses Doubts About Immediate Improvement
After finishing the Singapore race, Leclerc was candid about his uncertainty regarding Ferrari’s chances of improvement before the season ends, noting that no additional upgrades are expected. He described the current situation as “tough” and admitted the team is “struggling massively with the car.”
Leclerc explained,
“I wish I could say that I’m positive for the rest of the season, I don’t think there’s anything in the car that proves to me that we are going to do a step forward.”
He indicated that any previous development gains have been matched or exceeded by rival teams, diminishing Ferrari’s relative advantage.
“We did steps forward [at the start of the season] but the others did as well so the gap stayed kind of the same and then Red Bull kind of found two steps in a season,”
Leclerc said, referring to Red Bull’s significant mid-season progress during the first half and again at Monza.
He continued,
“Now Mercedes seems to have done this step forward and we are the only one that didn’t find that solution.”
This highlights the technical challenges Ferrari faces as competitors continue to evolve their cars while Ferrari’s development appears stagnant.
Ferrari’s Challenging Season and Declining Competitiveness
The 2025 season has been frustrating for Ferrari, with expectations unmet despite the optimism brought on by Lewis Hamilton’s joining the team. Last year, the team narrowly lost the constructors’ championship to McLaren by 14 points, heightening hopes for a more competitive season.
However, the SF-25’s initial tests in Bahrain quickly revealed its shortcomings. Despite implementing numerous upgrades such as modifications to the floor and suspension, Ferrari has struggled to contend for wins, while rivals Red Bull and Mercedes have made consistent gains. Ferrari’s improvements have been marginal in comparison, leaving the team without a victory this year.
Leclerc sympathized with the entire Ferrari operation, emphasizing the collective effort despite the car’s deficits.
“I feel pain for all the team from catering to marketing, to the guys in the garage and engineers who show up every weekend, and they really do give absolutely everything but the car we have is unfortunately not of the level of the guys ahead of us,”
he said.
He added,
“Particularly as they’ve had some upgrades and we can’t match them. We’re on a knife-edge trying to get as close as we can.”
This statement underscores the fine margins separating Ferrari from its competitors and the mounting pressure on the team to find solutions swiftly.
Implications and Outlook for the Final Races
The ongoing struggles of Ferrari place significant strain on both the team and its drivers, especially Charles Leclerc, who has been a key performer for the Scuderia. With no new parts expected for the remainder of the campaign, the focus will likely shift toward optimizing current setups and race strategies to minimize further losses.
As rival teams continue their development trajectories, Ferrari’s inability to close performance gaps threatens their position in the championship standings. The next six races will be crucial for Ferrari to stabilize their results and regain competitiveness, though Leclerc’s comments suggest that the path ahead remains uncertain and fraught with challenges.
