Lewis Hamilton has found a spark of optimism after Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur revealed plans to introduce vital upgrades to the SF-25, aiming to reverse the team’s recent struggles. Following a frustrating Miami Grand Prix, where Hamilton finished eighth and expressed his irritation openly over team radio, Ferrari is set to roll out improvements first in Imola, with a more significant development expected at the Spanish Grand Prix later in May. These changes offer hope not only for Hamilton but for teammate Charles Leclerc as well.
Throughout the Miami weekend, the Ferrari struggled significantly, particularly in slower corners, which exposed the SF-25’s lack of pace relative to rivals McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. This performance gap forced the team further down the order, highlighting the urgent need for technical enhancements. Vasseur outlined the timeline for the upgrades, indicating a small but meaningful step forward in Imola, followed by a larger update at Barcelona.
“We will have something to take a small step forward [in Imola] and then there will be another step in Barcelona,”
Vasseur told Sky Sports F1. Despite the promise, he cautioned that expectations should be measured, emphasizing that the priority remains finding the right balance for the car rather than relying solely on new parts to fix the issues.
Vasseur was candid about the challenges faced at Miami, pointing out that tyre performance played a considerable role in Ferrari’s disappointing weekend.
“We haven’t found the best balance,”
he explained.
“We struggled a lot and our best lap in qualifying came on used tyres. It’s the first time that’s happened in two years. This is frustrating. We have to work and fix our problems, one at a time and improve.”
He added,
“It’s much more a question of the tyres than the characteristics of the car. In some moments we managed to extract much more potential from the tyres than this weekend and from that comes the performance.”
For Lewis Hamilton, who has been eager to challenge for victories and championships, Ferrari’s upgrade schedule brings a sliver of hope amid a season that has begun with mounting tensions and technical setbacks. If these improvements can deliver the expected gains, Ferrari may yet restore competitiveness and reassert itself among the frontrunners. Hamilton’s focus will now be on extracting every ounce of performance from the evolving package while dealing with the pressure that comes with high expectations.
