Leclerc Secures Ferrari’s Third Podium of 2025 in Spain Amid Hamilton’s Ongoing Struggles
Ferrari celebrated their third podium end of the 2025 Method 1 season because of Charles Leclerc’s resilient drive on the Spanish Grand Prix. Nonetheless, the general environment inside the Maranello workforce remained one in all frustration, as ongoing points continued to overshadow the second of success.
Hopes have been excessive firstly of the weekend, with the Scuderia anticipating the newly launched flexi-wing technical directive to disrupt the aggressive order and degree the taking part in discipline. Sadly for Ferrari, the regulation shift did not shake up the grid as anticipated. McLaren prolonged their dominance with one more commanding 1-2 end, dashing Ferrari’s ambitions for a extra aggressive displaying.
Including to the workforce’s woes, Lewis Hamilton was as soon as once more outqualified by Leclerc—marking simply the second time this season, throughout each Grands Prix and Dash weekends, that the Monegasque driver began forward. Regardless of this, the Briton expressed a level of optimism heading into Sunday’s race. That confidence shortly dissipated, nevertheless, because the Brit discovered himself wrestling with extreme snap oversteer—worse than another driver on the grid—leaving him unable to extract efficiency from the SF-25.
Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration over Lewis Hamilton’s tempo on workforce radio, however finally managed to overhaul the seven-time world champion. His fortunes improved late within the race when a mechanical failure struck Kimi Antonelli’s automobile, prompting a security automobile interval and presenting Leclerc with a primary alternative to combat for a podium.
Upon the restart, Charles Leclerc made contact with Max Verstappen as he surged previous on the primary straight. Regardless of the incident, the Ferrari driver held agency in third place. In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton completed sixth, benefitting from Verstappen’s post-race penalty that dropped the Dutchman to tenth following a separate collision with George Russell.
This end result elevated Ferrari to second place within the Constructors’ Championship, shifting forward of each Mercedes and Crimson Bull. Nonetheless, Hamilton’s underwhelming efficiency left followers, pundits, and even fellow drivers questioning the state of affairs at Ferrari.
Gasly Perplexed as Hulkenberg’s Sauber Beats Ferrari on Advantage
One of the crucial sudden outcomes in Barcelona got here from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who completed eighth and picked up 4 invaluable factors. The Frenchman capitalized on Max Verstappen’s penalty however was notably overshadowed by Nico Hulkenberg, who delivered a shock P5 end for Sauber.
The Hinwil-based workforce has been one of many least aggressive squads all through the 2025 season, however a bundle of upgrades launched in Spain paid rapid dividends. Nico Hulkenberg, who had been knocked out in Q1, executed an excellent lengthy stint on medium tyres, gaining observe place by way of a well-timed technique.
Gasly, chatting with Sport.de, acknowledged Sauber’s intelligent techniques. He defined that the technique allowed Hulkenberg to keep away from blue flags and pit in tandem with the race leaders, minimizing time loss and maximizing alternatives. Pierre Gasly admitted that whereas Alpine didn’t extract their full potential, the workforce was happy with an eighth-place end, particularly contemplating the factors have been essential for morale and the championship battle.
The sight of Hulkenberg overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on sheer tempo within the closing phases grew to become one of many principal speaking factors of the Spanish Grand Prix. Gasly described the result as uncommon, noting that Williams had seemed to be the quickest midfield contender all year long, solely to falter in Barcelona. Sauber, who had proven little tempo in earlier rounds, all of a sudden seemed formidable, overtaking a Ferrari on benefit—a state of affairs few would have predicted.
Issues Mount Over Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Future After Spanish GP
The second Hulkenberg breezed previous Hamilton down the primary straight on uncooked efficiency marked a low level for each the British driver and Ferrari. Throughout social media, followers speculated whether or not Hamilton’s time at Ferrari had already reached an irrecoverable stage.
Hamilton was reportedly vocal in his criticism, describing the SF-25 because the worst automobile he has ever pushed. All through the weekend, he struggled to handle the automobile’s unpredictable rear finish, which considerably compromised his race tempo. Leclerc, unaffected by the identical severity of dealing with points, completed effectively forward of his teammate.
Tensions additionally surfaced throughout follow classes, notably throughout FP3, when Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami skilled a miscommunication relating to a downshift drawback. The strained trade added additional stress on workforce principal Fred Vasseur, who now faces the pressing process of addressing inside coordination and automobile efficiency to keep away from additional deterioration in morale.
In post-race feedback that hinted at deeper dissatisfaction, the Briton referred to his sense of “dwelling”—a comment many interpreted as an indication that he might already be considering his future past Ferrari. Though contracted by way of 2026 with an possibility for 2027, hypothesis is rising that the seven-time world champion could also be exploring an early exit if the workforce can not ship rapid enhancements.
With the 2025 season nearing its midway mark, Ferrari’s inside challenges proceed to mount. Whereas Charles Leclerc’s podium end supplied a glimmer of hope, the broader narrative stays dominated by Lewis Hamilton’s struggles and the rising uncertainty surrounding his place inside the Scuderia.
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