Formula 1 heads to the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend after seeing three different winners in the first three rounds in Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
McLaren emerged as the team to beat straight away during F1 testing in Bahrain in February with the Woking squad building on winning last year’s constructors’ title. But they could not fully use the MCL39’s straights last week as Verstappen won the Japanese GP for Red Bull.
Norris won the Australian GP from pole position to dethrone Verstappen atop the F1 drivers’ championship for the first time in 1,029 days. Also, Piastri converted his first pole to win the Chinese GP but Suzuka’s resurfaced track negated McLaren’s big advantage with tyre wear.
Now, the travelling circus of Formula 1 heads back to Sakhir this weekend for the Bahrain GP with Norris only a point ahead of Verstappen and 13 ahead of Piastri. And Jamie Chadwick is not holding out much hope for a rival team joining the lead fight with McLaren and Red Bull.
Jamie Chadwick doubts Ferrari can ‘make a dent’ on McLaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix
Ferrari have endured a sub-standard start to the 2025 F1 season to rank just fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings after the first three rounds. The Scuderia even trail leaders McLaren by 76 points – thanks heavily to Ferrari’s first-ever double disqualification at the Chinese GP.
The Maranello natives are yet to score a Grand Prix podium this year and are managing a big problem with the rear of Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car structurally too soft. Upgrades are coming this week to help their ride height woes with Ferrari due to run a revised floor at the Bahrain GP.
Yet Chadwick fears Ferrari will likely struggle to ‘make a dent’ on McLaren given the SF-25 is on average three to four-tenths of a second per lap slower than the MCL39. So, while Lewis Hamilton got 162 laps of the Sakhir track with the SF-25 in testing, his hopes will be limited.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Chadwick has told Sky Sports: “[Bahrain] is a track he knows very well in that Ferrari from testing. So, hopefully, that gives them a bit of a better window to perform. But arguably, with the pace of the McLaren, it’s going to be hard for them to really make a dent.”
Ferrari could sacrifice developing their 2025 car to focus on F1’s 2026 regulations
Ferrari are the most-valuable F1 team at £3.8bn, yet have endured a very disappointing start to the season after missing out on last year’s constructors’ title to McLaren by just 14 points. Such is their plight that Ferrari may soon stop developing their 2025 F1 car to focus on 2026.
Ranking 76 points behind McLaren, 40 to Mercedes and 26 from Red Bull after three rounds, even despite Hamilton winning the F1 Sprint in China, leaves serious questions in Maranello. So, with F1 overhauling the regulations in 2026, next term might quickly entice Ferrari more.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 chassis and engine regulations
Ferrari would not be the first time to sacrifice this season to work on next year’s regulations. Sauber, Racing Bulls and Haas are immersed on their 2026 F1 regulation cars to move up the field and Adrian Newey has focused on Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car since his arrival in March.
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