Ferrari’s 2025 campaign is turning into a familiar story: promise, glimpses of performance, and ultimately frustration. And as Lewis Hamilton continues to adapt to life in Maranello, he’s experiencing firsthand the very same organizational and technical dysfunction that derailed the title hopes of Vettel, Alonso, and Leclerc before him.
The Spanish Grand Prix was just the latest chapter in what is becoming an increasingly predictable cycle.
The Barcelona Breakdown: Symptom of a Larger Disease
On the surface, Hamilton’s ninth place finish looked bleak. The fact that he was overtaken late in the race by Hülkenberg’s Sauber only amplified the optics of a spiraling season. Yet the data paints a much more complex story. Once corrected for pit stop delays, Hamilton was only nine seconds adrift of Leclerc by lap 50, and had been steadily closing in on both Leclerc and Russell before a safety car neutralized any gains.
His radio message summed up the growing frustration: “There’s something wrong with that last front wing, I think. I don’t know what’s wrong with this car, mate. It’s the worst it’s ever been.”
Ferrari compounded the situation with another operational misstep. They executed incorrect front wing flap adjustments twice, destabilizing the car further as the fuel load dropped. This left Hamilton dealing with a car that completely lost its front end balance late in the race, a recurring issue linked to the SF-25’s underlying design compromises.
Even the late Hülkenberg pass was circumstantial. The Sauber driver was on fresh softs, essentially running qualifying laps in clean air, while Hamilton was left defending on old tires with an already unsettled chassis. Yet, as is often the case in F1, the nuance was lost among casual observers eager to write off Hamilton’s form.
The Root of Ferrari’s SF-25 Problems
Ferrari’s struggles aren’t new. The SF-25 isn’t a bad car outright; it’s just one that’s inherently compromised by its design direction. This year’s updated front suspension was designed to prepare for the incoming 2026 regulations, but the rear suspension, largely carried over, hasn’t been able to cope with the extreme downforce generated by the floor.
The problem is structural: the rear suspension geometry simply buckles under the aero loads, and Ferrari has had to run compromised setups just to maintain stability. Their ride height sensitivity has created a narrow setup window that collapses late in races when fuel loads drop.
Even when upgrades have been introduced, such as rear wing updates borrowed from the SF-24, Ferrari has consistently found themselves unable to fully exploit them because of these fundamental rear suspension issues.
A Familiar Ferrari Cycle
What Hamilton is experiencing is not new, it’s the same dynamic that defined Vettel’s and Alonso’s stints. Both Vettel and Alonso spent years dragging imperfect Ferraris into title fights, often overdriving fundamentally flawed cars to stay in contention. In many ways, Hamilton is now being pulled into this cycle of fighting the car as much as the competition.
Unlike Vettel or Alonso, Hamilton joined at a time when Ferrari’s ability to outspend rivals has been limited by the budget cap. In prior eras, Maranello’s financial might allowed them to brute-force their way back into contention after missteps. That safety net no longer exists. Every error in development now carries far greater consequences under capped resource limits.
Hamilton knew this was the reality walking into Ferrari, but the full scope of the cultural and operational weaknesses may still have caught him off guard. The move increasingly looks like a gamble driven by legacy and branding as much as competitive ambition, a chance to drive for Ferrari, to build his brand globally, and to create a narrative of conquering one last challenge, even if the odds of an eighth title are slimmer than ever.
Ferrari’s Development Crossroads
The most pressing decision facing Ferrari is whether to continue investing in the SF-25 or fully pivot to 2026. They currently sit P2 in the Constructors’ standings, but that position flatters them. Red Bull’s internal driver instability, Mercedes’ ongoing technical struggles, and McLaren’s slow start have allowed Ferrari to sit higher in the table than their true pace might suggest.
Internally, Ferrari is preparing a major rear suspension upgrade, tentatively targeted for Silverstone. This update is designed to not only salvage 2025 but serve as a technical foundation for the 2026 car under the radically new regulations. However, many inside the paddock fear that rushing partial fixes could backfire. Ferrari must tread carefully, one wrong turn here could send them into what’s been dubbed “development hell” for years to come.
The smarter long-term move may be to accept short-term losses and fully commit to 2026 development, even if that means finishing lower in the standings this year. Ironically, the lower Ferrari finishes, the more wind tunnel testing time they’ll earn under current regulations, potentially offering a greater long-term advantage than the prize money attached to P2.
Why Ferrari Can’t Escape Their Operational Weaknesses
The true thread running through Ferrari’s modern struggles has little to do with raw car speed, and everything to do with execution. Ferrari has repeatedly shown they can design quick cars, but year after year they fail to deliver on race-day operations, in-race adaptability, and consistent development.
From botched wing adjustments to misfiring upgrade packages, Ferrari’s operational sharpness simply lags behind Red Bull, Mercedes, and now even McLaren. And unlike Schumacher’s Ferrari era, when the team was built around imported leadership and stability, the current Scuderia remains deeply traditional, politically fragmented, and resistant to wholesale cultural overhaul.
Hamilton now faces exactly what Vettel and Alonso faced before him, a team that can occasionally deliver a car fast enough to tantalize, but rarely one capable of sustaining a full-season title run.
A Flicker of Hope on Street Circuits
While the overall championship fight seems out of reach, Ferrari’s season isn’t entirely without opportunity. Tracks like Monaco, Singapore, and Baku still offer windows where the SF-25’s strengths, particularly its mechanical grip in low-speed corners, can shine. Monaco nearly delivered a win this year, and similar layouts could still offer Ferrari wins if execution is perfect.
Leclerc remains Ferrari’s trump card on street circuits. His one-lap pace remains among the best in F1, especially on tight, technical layouts. But those flashes of brilliance will only carry Ferrari so far.
Off-Track: Hamilton Builds His Broader Legacy
While his on-track frustrations mount, Hamilton’s off-track mission grows stronger. Recently, he met with UK Labour leader Keir Starmer to discuss education reform, pushing for greater diversity and accessibility within the British school system.
This phase of Hamilton’s career reflects a transition: moving from being solely an elite competitor to becoming a global activist and philanthropist, fully conscious of his influence beyond the racetrack.
Even here, fans couldn’t resist a bit of humor, noting the predictable headline wordplay: “Lewis Hamilton meets Keir Starmer to drive education reform.” But beneath the puns is a serious mission that’s increasingly defining Hamilton’s broader post-racing legacy.
Conclusion: Hamilton’s Ferrari Experience Is Becoming Painfully Familiar
Ultimately, Hamilton’s Ferrari experiment increasingly mirrors Ferrari’s own recent history, a team capable of building something fast enough to generate hope, but rarely capable of executing that hope into reality. The cycle that consumed Alonso and Vettel now threatens to do the same for Hamilton.
The SF-25 isn’t a disaster, but like so many Ferraris before it, it’s good enough to tease, not to deliver. For Hamilton, 2025 increasingly feels like a holding pattern while everyone, fans and paddock alike, waits to see whether Ferrari can finally break free of its systemic limitations when the 2026 rules arrive.
The next 18 months may ultimately define whether this Ferrari chapter becomes Hamilton’s most rewarding risk, or simply a bittersweet final act.