What Ferrari insiders are now saying about fixing their car’s ‘fundamental issues’ ruining Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 season

Ferrari would have hoped that the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season would have gone much more smoothly than this.

After the first five race weekends of the season, Ferrari have one victory and one podium to their name.

Unfortunately, that victory was only worth eight points, coming thanks to Lewis Hamilton in the Sprint Race in China.

Charles Leclerc recorded a P3 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ending Ferrari’s wait for a top-three finish over a full race length.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has overseen several rudimental changes to the team’s cars over the winter, including a switch to pull rod suspension.

Unfortunately, the Scuderia have gone from the second-quickest team on the grid at the end of last season, to the fourth-fastest team in 2025.

Ferrari have already brought a floor update to the car this year, and that had an immediate impact on Leclerc’s performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Hamilton’s displays are still more inconsistent, especially as Ferrari have discovered a design flaw making it hard to extract the maximum out of the car in qualifying.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari insiders ‘addressing’ issue with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s car

A report from The Race has shared more information about the work currently going on at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello.

They report that while the floor update has improved the car, it’s not solved the SF-25’s ‘fundamental weaknesses’.

There are issues with both the mechanical aspects of the car, and its aerodynamics, meaning Hamilton and Leclerc are at a constant disadvantage to the McLaren drivers among others on the grid.

It’s believed that Loic Serra and Diego Tondi are now ‘focusing their efforts’ on fixing this, including the underfloor design of the car which has already been updated once this year.

Ferrari’s car needs to be driven with the least possible ground clearance, but as Hamilton’s disqualification demonstrated in Shanghai, running too low is also a major issue.

There may be a temptation for Ferrari to shift focus to 2026 given that they’re already more than 100 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

However, it’s been suggested that Ferrari insiders think that ‘targeted updates’ alongside the use of the team’s wind tunnel and CFD simulations can improve the car’s handling.

This would greatly benefit Hamilton who has been struggling to push the car as hard as Leclerc, particularly during cornering.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

How Ferrari feel about the upcoming Formula 1 rule change at the Spanish Grand Prix

There is a potential turning point coming soon this season that could Ferrari a boost compared to their rivals.

The rules around the flexibility of each team’s front wings will be tightened from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards after the FIA already changed the regulations surrounding rear wings in Shanghai.

Red Bull expect McLaren to be harmed by the upcoming rule change, although they may not be safe from the stricter enforcement either.

Ferrari are believed to hope that the rule change will narrow the performance gap between themselves and the front-running teams.

While there are question marks over whether the Scuderia will also be impacted, The Race reports that paddock sources have indicated Ferrari are ‘neutral’ to the changes.

However, it would be a surprise if they haven’t explored the same exploits as their rivals, which could leave them equally exposed.