Hamilton Ferrari criticism

Hamilton issues bleak Ferrari forecast as new underbody falls short – Ferrari’s latest upgrade, a revised underbody designed to generate more downforce, was intended to mark a turning point in their faltering 2025 Formula 1 campaign. However, Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix suggested otherwise.

While Charles Leclerc performed moderately well, finishing fifth, his teammate Lewis Hamilton offered a stark and sobering assessment of the team’s prospects: “We’re just significantly too slow.”

The upgrade was meant to be a step forward. Instead, Ferrari once again finds itself scrambling to understand whether its upgrades have genuinely improved performance or simply shifted problems around.

 

Leclerc plays catch-up after sitting out FP1

Ferrari’s weekend got off to a curious start when Charles Leclerc had to sit out the opening free practice session to make way for junior driver Dino Beganovic. The Swedish Formula 2 driver made his second FP1 appearance of the season, gathering data — but costing Leclerc valuable track time at a critical moment.

Despite this, Leclerc bounced back quickly in FP2. “It didn’t really affect the second session,” he said. “I immediately felt comfortable on the track, just not with the car.” The driving experience still wasn’t quite right. So there’s a lot of work to do before tomorrow.”

Leclerc finished fifth fastest, six-tenths behind Lando Norris, and expressed cautious optimism about the car’s long-run potential. “The race pace looks very positive. I’d say we’re more or less on par with the best, which is encouraging,” he said. However, the real concern remains Ferrari’s now-familiar struggle in qualifying.

 

Ferrari Still Falling Short in Qualifying Pace

Ferrari’s biggest problem isn’t necessarily their race pace; it’s getting to the front of the grid in the first place. With margins razor-thin in the ultra-tight 2025 field, Leclerc knows that starting from sixth or seventh could mean spending the race stuck behind cars with equal or better straight-line speed.

‘It’s all so close now that if you don’t start in the top five, you just can’t fight for the win,’ he said. ‘Our goal is to maximise qualifying — I don’t know if we’ll get there, but we’ll work overnight to try.’

Leclerc ran the team’s new underbody for the first time in FP2. It was supposed to be a game-changer, offering increased downforce without compromising drag. However, when asked if he had noticed any tangible improvement, Leclerc’s response was strikingly measured.

‘From the outside, it looks like you bolt on a new part and suddenly go faster,’ he said. ‘But the differences are so subtle. Even if the overall gain is five-tenths — which would be significant — that equates to a tiny improvement in each corner. If you miss FP1, as I did, and have no direct comparison, it’s hard to really feel the impact.”

Leclerc confirmed that Ferrari’s data shows the new floor is performing as intended. ‘The numbers are positive. The system is working. But it’s hard to say right now whether that will translate into faster lap times or not.”

Hamilton said, “A lot of work, but still too slow.”

 

Upgrade not working

While Leclerc offered a cautiously diplomatic review, Lewis Hamilton was more forthright. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari this season in the hope of revitalising his career, was candid in his post-session appraisal.

‘A lot of work has gone into the new underbody,’ Hamilton acknowledged. ‘But, as you can see, it hasn’t really changed our competitiveness.’

Hamilton could only manage tenth in FP2, nearly a full second behind Norris at the top of the timesheets. ‘The car doesn’t feel bad — we’re just significantly too slow,’ he said bluntly. ‘We need to analyse that. There’s really nothing more to say.”

His frustration was compounded by a gearbox issue that limited his running in FP1 to just 20 laps — the fewest of any driver on the grid. “It was frustrating for everyone in the garage,” he said. ‘I couldn’t stay out long after each pit stop. I didn’t manage to complete any long runs in FP1.”

While Hamilton did credit the team’s mechanics for a rapid gearbox change that got him back out in FP2, it did little to change the underlying situation.

“Charles was six-tenths off, and I was almost a second down,’ he said. ‘That’s not ideal. But we’ve learned a lot, and we’ll make changes. Hopefully, we’ll close the gap a bit. However, we’re not going to be fighting at the front — that’s just the reality.”

 

Searching for Tenths in a Ruthless Field

The bigger picture is beginning to look grim for Ferrari. While McLaren and Red Bull continue to innovate and secure the top spots, the Scuderia appears to be stuck in a development rut — upgrades are on the way, but they won’t deliver the breakthrough the team so desperately needs.

‘We’ll keep pushing,’ said Hamilton, trying to stay positive. ‘We’ll try to tune the car better and see what we can get out of it. It’s super tight at the front. A tenth of a second can change everything.’

But right now, even that tenth of a second looks elusive.

The Austrian Grand Prix is shaping up to be another litmus test for Ferrari’s trajectory this season. With both Red Bull and McLaren introducing their own upgrades, Maranello is under pressure to prove that its development path isn’t obsolete.

If this weekend goes badly, it won’t be long before the whispers grow louder — not about how Ferrari can win again, but whether they even know how to anymore.