Breaking News: Hamilton confirms Ferrari upgrade SF-25 issues not Huge
Despite growing rumors surrounding potential design flaws in Ferrari’s SF-25 car, Lewis Hamilton has dismissed concerns of “major issues,” offering a more optimistic outlook on the team’s performance as they head into a crucial weekend in Bahrain. As the Scuderia prepares to roll out a significant floor upgrade for its car, speculation about a ride height issue affecting downforce has been prominent. However, Hamilton remains cautiously optimistic about the improvements, signaling that the team is actively working on solutions to address its performance shortcomings.
Ferrari’s disappointing start to the 2025 Formula 1 season has fueled speculation that there may be a deeper issue with the SF-25. The team’s early performances in Australia, where Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finished eighth and tenth, followed by disqualifications in China due to excessive plank wear, have sparked widespread talk of a fundamental flaw in the car. Some paddock observers have pointed to a potential inability to run the car low enough to generate optimal downforce, with Hamilton’s plank violation in China seen as evidence supporting this theory.
However, speaking ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton offered a more measured response. In an interview with Sky Sports F1, he acknowledged that while the team was facing challenges, they were making strides to address them. “We’ve got an upgrade this weekend so I’m excited we’re going to hopefully have a bit more downforce,” he said, expressing hope that the upcoming updates would help the car’s performance.
Ferrari has been tight-lipped about the rumored ride height issues but has hinted that the new floor upgrade could help alleviate some of the car’s performance struggles. The team’s disappointing results so far this season have left them fourth in the constructors’ standings, 76 points behind the championship leaders, McLaren. Despite the gaps in performance, Hamilton remains focused on incremental improvements, signaling that he believes the SF-25 is not beyond redemption.
The team’s best finish this season came in Japan, where Leclerc secured a distant fourth place, but the performance gap to McLaren continues to loom large. According to reports, Ferrari is losing approximately three-tenths of a second per lap to McLaren, which will require significant work to close. Hamilton’s view on the SF-25’s performance is that while the team may not have the outright pace of their rivals, the issues they face are not insurmountable.
“I’m not really feeling a huge amount of issues just we lack overall performance at the moment pace-wise, which we will hopefully take a step this weekend,” Hamilton remarked. He noted that he was struggling a bit with the rear end of the car but did not see this as a fundamental design flaw. Instead, he suggested that the issue was something that could be addressed with adjustments, rather than a complete overhaul of the car’s design. This aligns with his optimism that the upgrades introduced in Bahrain will provide a much-needed performance boost.
While Hamilton remains cautiously optimistic, his teammate Charles Leclerc has tempered expectations about the upgrade. Leclerc acknowledged that while the team was introducing new parts for the Bahrain Grand Prix, it was unlikely that these updates would close the performance gap entirely. “We’ve got some new bits on the car coming which I hope will help us to close that gap a little bit,” Leclerc said. However, he was quick to caution that the improvements might not be enough to fully catch up with McLaren, noting that the gap between the two teams was still significant. “I don’t think there is that in what we are bringing here,” he added, referring to the idea that the updates would immediately put Ferrari on par with McLaren.
Leclerc’s realistic assessment reflects the broader challenges facing Ferrari as they try to recover from their slow start to the season. “In Suzuka I think this was the gap that there is between McLaren and ourselves, which is three-tenths,” he explained. “We need to work very hard in order to catch that and that’s what we are doing and I’m confident we can close that gap.” Leclerc’s comments suggest that Ferrari’s recovery will be a gradual process, with Bahrain serving as just the first step in what could be a multi-phase effort to improve their competitiveness.
As the team heads into the Bahrain Grand Prix, all eyes will be on the new floor and its potential to improve the SF-25’s downforce and overall performance. With both Hamilton and Leclerc expressing hope that the updates will provide a tangible boost, the weekend in Sakhir could be pivotal in shaping the remainder of Ferrari’s 2025 season. While the team is still facing significant challenges, there is a sense that progress is being made, and the upcoming race could offer the first signs of recovery.
