Ferrari's 2025 Season: A Winless Slump to Fourth as Hamilton Finishes Without a Podium
Ferrari's 2025 F1 season was a disappointment, falling to fourth in the standings without a win. Lewis Hamilton failed to score a podium in his first year with the team, while operational issues and a lack of car pace plagued the Scuderia throughout the campaign.
Ferrari's 2025 Formula 1 campaign was a significant step backward, as the team with championship aspirations slumped to fourth in the Constructors' standings and failed to secure a single victory. The high-profile arrival of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, paired with Charles Leclerc, failed to translate into success, with Hamilton ending his first season with the Scuderia without a single podium finish.
Why it matters:
This season represents a major setback for Ferrari, which narrowly missed the constructors' title in 2024. The failure to build on that momentum, coupled with a winless year for a driver of Hamilton's caliber, raises serious questions about the team's development direction and operational sharpness as the sport heads into a new regulatory era in 2026.
The details:
- Pre-Season Changes Backfire: Ferrari tweaked the SF-25's suspension in the off-season aiming for a more stable aerodynamic platform, but the change did not pay off. The car consistently lacked the raw pace to challenge front-runner McLaren.
- Costly Disqualification in China: Both Leclerc and Hamilton were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear. This forced the team to raise the car's ride height for subsequent races, sacrificing crucial performance in an era where running the car low to the ground is key.
- Driver Performance Gap: Throughout the season, Charles Leclerc appeared more comfortable with the SF-25, securing consecutive podiums in Monaco and Spain. In contrast, Hamilton struggled to maximize the car's potential over a single lap in qualifying and could not convert opportunities into a top-three finish.
- Operational Missteps: Strategy and team coordination were inconsistent. In Miami, Hamilton was stuck behind Leclerc on fresher tires, losing the chance to attack rival Kimi Antonelli until his own rubber was past its best. A botched position swap attempt on the final lap in Azerbaijan resulted in Hamilton crossing the line in eighth.
- Shift in Focus: As the disappointing season progressed, Ferrari increasingly diverted resources and focus toward its 2026 car project, making competitive results in 2025 even harder to achieve.
Looking ahead:
The new technical regulations for 2026 present a reset opportunity for Ferrari to address its shortcomings. The team's ability to develop a consistently competitive package and execute cleaner race operations will be critical if it hopes to return to the front and justify its star-studded driver lineup. The pressure is now on the Maranello squad to ensure this season was an anomaly, not a trend.