Charles Leclerc has expressed a pessimistic view regarding Ferrari’s prospects for the remainder of the F1 2025 season, indicating his team faces significant challenges to secure a victory. Following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari now sits third in the Constructors’ Championship behind Mercedes, raising questions about their competitiveness as the season approaches its final stages.
Currently, seven races remain in the F1 2025 calendar as the teams prepare to compete in Singapore. McLaren has led much of the campaign with dominant performances, while Red Bull and Mercedes have also collected race wins. Max Verstappen remains an unexpected contender for the Drivers’ title despite strong competition.
Ferrari’s Winless Streak Weighs Heavily on Leclerc
Among the top four teams, Ferrari stands out as the only outfit yet to claim a race victory this season, discounting Lewis Hamilton’s sprint race triumph in China. Leclerc himself doubts that Ferrari will break this streak, acknowledging that although certain upcoming circuits may better suit the SF-25 car, it likely will not outperform rivals consistently.
Leclerc remarked on the team’s chances, saying,
Just because, unfortunately, the McLaren is also very strong when it’s warm. So compared to our main competitors, we might be stronger; so against the Mercedes I think we have chances to be stronger on those races, and I think we’ll be stronger on those races, however, compared to McLaren, I don’t think we’ll ever have the upper hand compared to them.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Driver
This perspective highlights the specific difficulty Ferrari faces against McLaren, whose performance in warm conditions appears to surpass the Scuderia’s.
Current Standings and Season Highlights for the Scuderia
After 17 races, Leclerc is positioned fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, with his best finish so far a second place behind Lando Norris in Monaco. This remains Ferrari’s highest finish this year, as Hamilton has yet to reach the podium on Sundays despite his sprint race win showcasing potential in an otherwise subdued debut season with the team.
Ferrari trails Mercedes by only four points in the Constructors’ Championship, a tight gap suggesting ongoing competition for second place. Meanwhile, McLaren is poised to potentially secure the Constructors’ title in Singapore.
Implications for Ferrari’s Season and Future Prospects
Leclerc’s forecast underscores mounting frustrations within Ferrari, as the team struggles to regain its status among the front-runners during the closing stages of the season. With McLaren’s consistent pace and Red Bull’s continuing prowess, Ferrari must address performance gaps swiftly to salvage meaningful results before 2025 concludes. The upcoming races will be critical for the Italian squad’s momentum, both in points and morale, as they seek to reverse this downward trend while preparing for future campaigns.
