In the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton‘s venture with Ferrari has not started as he might have anticipated. A lone points finish in Australia and a disqualification in China set the tone for a season of struggles. Despite hopes for redemption in Japan, Hamilton could do no better than seventh place, raising concerns about Ferrari’s competitiveness.
Starting the season as potential frontrunners after finishing 14 points behind McLaren in the previous Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari’s early performance has been underwhelming. The Suzuka race further highlighted their distance from the podium, lagging behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes.
Hamilton, unable to outpace Kimi Antonelli, his successor at Mercedes, expressed his frustrations, remarking, “When I was behind Antonelli, he was just so much faster in some parts of the circuit.” This struggle against a leading competitor emphasizes the issues Ferrari must address.
The Ferrari SF-25’s exact issues remain unclear. Experts like Jacques Villeneuve have voiced doubts about Ferrari understanding their challenges or solutions. He noted, “They know they are in trouble and do not know how to get better,” indicating a significant hurdle for the team.
Ferrari currently stands as the fourth-best team based on pure pace, struggling to close the gap with Mercedes. This is worrisome given the high expectations surrounding Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as a premier driver pairing. Hamilton himself acknowledged the urgency for improvements, likening the situation to finding unknown faults, “I think it’s just they’re aware of it and they don’t know what’s [causing it], they don’t know why.”
Despite these challenges, hope for rectification looms. Ferrari’s principal, Frederic Vasseur, assured that new upgrades will soon be introduced. However, before implementing these enhancements, Ferrari must resolve their pressing balance issues. “As soon as we can make the most of what we have today, then it will make sense to introduce new features,” Vasseur stated.
The significance of improving Ferrari’s performance is critical. Should the upgrades prove effective, Hamilton and Leclerc may regain competitiveness and aim to climb the grid and challenge or even surpass the current leaders. Hamilton’s ability to match and contest with Antonelli relies heavily on these interventions.
The path forward for Ferrari necessitates swift and strategic responses. Successfully addressing these technical concerns could not only elevate Hamilton back into a competitive position but also revive Ferrari’s standing as a formidable force in the championship race.
