What’s going wrong at Ferrari?

Written by Lujan Garcia, Edited by Julia Bissessar

Credit: Scuderia Ferrari

Since the beginning of the 2025 Formula One season, there have been high hopes for Scuderia Ferrari’s plan for a dominant season. However, this plan has not come to fruition. They are currently fourth in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton, who bet on switching to Ferrari for better performance and a chance of a record-breaking eight title, is not doing well at all on track. His arrival at Maranello brought hope and high expectations for the 2025 season. However, the reality has been very different: Hamilton is struggling to adapt to a car that does not allow him to show his full potential. The contrast with Kimi Antonelli, his young replacement at Mercedes, is evident. While Antonelli surprises the paddock with his maturity and speed, Hamilton is trapped in a project that, for now, does not show strong signs of improvement.

After a fluctuating start to the season, Leclerc's podium finish in Saudi Arabia looks like a small ray of hope for the Tifosi, but it is still far from enough to reverse the worrying trend. The team continues to show race pace problems, poor strategies and a clear lack of development compared to its main rivals.

Credit: Formula One

The situation escalated further during the Miami Grand Prix, where tensions between Ferrari’s drivers boiled over. Hamilton and Leclerc engaged in an aggressive on-track battle that nearly resulted in disaster. While fighting for position, Hamilton attempted a bold overtake that forced Leclerc wide, causing the Monegasque to lose time and ultimately fall behind in the final classification. Team radio messages revealed visible frustration from both sides, with Leclerc questioning the logic of racing so hard against a teammate, and Hamilton defending his move as “just racing.” The incident sparked debate within the paddock and raised questions about Ferrari’s internal management and lack of clear team orders—something a top team in crisis can rarely afford.

Although it is early in the season, the signs are worrying since the SF-25 lacks consistency. For some circuits, such as Jeddah, there are chances at podiums, but it generally seems that they do not have the package to fight for championships.

Ferrari's poor performance this season seems to be a reflection of structural problems that have been dragging on for several years. The SF-25 has several clear shortcomings: Despite being competitive in qualifying, the deficit in aerodynamic development is evident. While rivals such as Red Bull and McLaren bring effective improvements, Ferrari continues to have difficulties in transferring its advances from the wind tunnel to the track.

The constant pressure from the media and the changes in the management structure generates an environment where innovation is limited, prioritizing conservative decisions for fear of failure. With one of the biggest driver changes in F1 history and a new technical director restructuring the technical team, it may take more time than expected  for Ferrari to find its footing. Finally, the adaptation to the latest technical regulations was not ideal for the Scuderia either, betting on a design concept that does not offer the same consistency as that of its main competitors. As a consequence, Ferrari is not only far from fighting for victories, but is even starting to be regularly outperformed by other teams, further compromising its championship aspirations.

As Ferrari struggles to find its footing, the clock is already ticking. The podium in Saudi Arabia was a much-needed boost, but it felt more like a temporary relief than a true turnaround. With deep-rooted problems  the Scuderia is facing a tough season.

If Ferrari wants to prove that Saudi Arabia wasn't just a fluke, they’ll need to show up stronger than ever. After all, everyone is a Ferrari fan — whether it's to celebrate their return or to witness the drama.