Ferrari still haven’t won a race in 2025, and there are only seven more opportunities to do so. It could be the first time since 2014 that they’ve failed to score a podium on both sides of the garage.
Worryingly, McLaren have opened the door in the last two races and Ferrari haven’t been able to capitalise. They didn’t have the fastest car at Monza, but it was Max Verstappen who took a dominant victory.
And in Baku last weekend, when Lando Norris qualified seventh and Oscar Piastri crashed twice, where were Ferrari? Also in the wall, in case of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton out in Q2.
To make matters worse, Ferrari had targeted Azerbaijan as a potential victory opportunity. They ended up walking away from the weekend with six points, raising serious doubts over whether they can contend in Las Vegas – another venue where they saw an opportunity.
Why is Lewis Hamilton’s pace disappearing after practice?
A cycle has emerged in recent races at Ferrari. They show promise in practice, with their rivals identifying them as a threat, and then fall away when it matters.
This has been particularly pronounced for Hamilton. He has been fastest in a Friday practice session at three of the last six events.
At Silverstone, Hamilton made a mistake at the end of his qualifying lap, which meant he was only fifth. In Italy, he was over three-tenths off pole even before a five-place grid drop demoted him to 10th.
| FP SESSION TOPPED | Q | R |
| Great Britain FP1 | 5th | 4th |
| Italy FP1 | 5th | 6th |
| Azerbaijan FP2 | 12th | 8th |
Hamilton bemoaned his unstable rear end before he was eliminated from Azerbaijan qualifying last time out. He also questioned Ferrari’s execution after he was sent out on worn soft tyres.
There are, then, numerous reasons why Hamilton has been falling further away as a weekend has progressed. Ferrari have been forced to raise their ride height so it clears the FIA underbody checks, costing them precious downforce in competitive sessions.
“Ferrari has made progress when it doesn’t matter, like on Friday,” Sky Italy pundit Ivan Capelli says. “This car had flashes of brilliance when it was at risk of disqualification for wearing the plank.
“When it was lifted due to the regulations, it became a car that couldn’t adapt to anything. Friday is fast, then everything fades.”
Jacques Villeneuve says there’s a big problem with Lewis Hamilton’s interviews
Guenther Steiner says some Ferrari staff regret losing Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard was much more competitive relative to Leclerc, beating him in nine Saturday qualifying sessions and eight races (Hamilton has only done so in seven combined).
Likewise, Jacques Villeneuve thinks Ferrari are missing Sainz this year. But one could argue that the problem is not the drivers.
Even Leclerc, who has arguably had his most complete season, hasn’t been able to win this year. Ferrari’s car is fundamentally flawed, and it isn’t allowing either of their stars to show their talents.
Still, Villeneuve has questioned Hamilton’s ‘strange’ interviews. He gets the impression that the seven-time world champion ‘doesn’t want to go to work’.