When the 2025 Formula 1 season is over, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is likely to face some difficult questions about the team’s car development.
When the 2024 F1 campaign ended, Ferrari were just 14 points behind McLaren, and Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz drove beautifully in Abu Dhabi to both finish on the podium.
After six race weekends in 2025, Ferrari are still waiting for Leclerc and new teammate Lewis Hamilton to share the rostrum, and it doesn’t appear as though it’s going to happen any time soon.
Leclerc managed to finish on the podium after a brilliant drive in Saudi Arabia, while Hamilton has a P1 and P3 to his name in both Sprint Races in 2025.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
246 |
| 2 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
141 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
105 |
| 4 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
94 |
| 5 |
Williams F1 Team |
37 |
| 6 |
Haas F1 Team |
20 |
| 7 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
14 |
| 8 |
Racing Bulls |
8 |
| 9 |
Alpine F1 Team |
7 |
| 10 |
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber |
6 |
However, it’s clear that those performances are very much the exceptions rather than the rule.
Leclerc is guiding Ferrari’s set-up choices given his previous experience with the team, but both drivers are being limited by design decisions made before the season started.
One area in particular is being affected which is immediately putting both drivers on the back foot.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Ferrari forced into set-up ‘sacrifices’ ruining their F1 qualifying pace
A report from the Italian outlet Autoracer has shared more details about Ferrari’s difficulties this season.
They suggest Ferrari are currently being forced to make ‘sacrifices’ to how their car is set up due to their deficiency in slow corners compared to their rivals.
They’ve also been forced to raise the car after Hamilton’s disqualification in China, meaning that some of the advantages they previously had on the straights have also been lost.
In addition to this, Ferrari setting their cars up to perform better at high speeds is also causing their tyres to overheat, impacting them later in the races.
McLaren have nailed their tyre management and it appears to be the deciding factor this season, partially explaining Ferrari’s struggles.
| RANK | DRIVER | TEAM | AV. POS. |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2.25 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2.88 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 4.00 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 4.13 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 5.13 |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 6.38 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 7.13 |
| 8 | Alex Albon | Williams | 9.38 |
| 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 10.50 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 10.75 |
However, Autoracer reports that the ‘most alarming’ data Ferrari have seen this season is Hamilton and Leclerc’s ‘lack of competitiveness’ on new tyres.
Leclerc is considered F1’s best qualifier on the grid, while Hamilton has more than 100 pole positions to his name.
Unfortunately, Ferrari’s car is hampering them as they simply can’t get the most out of Pirelli’s tyres when they’re at their fastest.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Ferrari expecting update packages to avoid disastrous 2025 F1 season
The Miami Grand Prix suggested that Ferrari could potentially be fighting with Williams rather than the likes of McLaren and Red Bull this season.
Neither driver could get close to Alex Albon, and Hamilton had to fight off a late charge from Sainz on the final lap.
Leclerc has hinted at major update packages coming for Ferrari, and the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix should see an uptick in the team’s performance.
Vasseur will know how important it is for Ferrari to perform in front of the Tifosi at Imola.
Ferrari fans aren’t known for their patience when it comes to the team underperforming, and it won’t be long before Vasseur is coming under pressure if Leclerc and Hamilton don’t have a competitive car soon.
