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 due to Charles Leclerc’s resilient drive on the Spanish Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the general environment throughout the Maranello crew remained certainly one of frustration, as ongoing points continued to overshadow the second of success.
Hopes had been excessive initially of the weekend, with the Scuderia anticipating the newly launched flexi-wing technical directive to disrupt the aggressive order and stage the taking part in area. Sadly for Ferrari, the regulation shift didn’t 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 exhibiting.
Including to the crew’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, nonetheless, 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 crew radio, however in the end managed to overhaul the seven-time world champion. His fortunes improved late within the race when a mechanical failure struck Kimi Antonelli’s automotive, prompting a security automotive interval and presenting Leclerc with a major alternative to struggle 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 outcome elevated Ferrari to second place within the Constructors’ Championship, shifting forward of each Mercedes and Purple 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
Some of the surprising outcomes in Barcelona got here from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who completed eighth and picked up 4 helpful 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 crew has been one of many least aggressive squads all through the 2025 season, however a bundle of upgrades launched in Spain paid instant dividends. Nico Hulkenberg, who had been knocked out in Q1, executed an excellent lengthy stint on medium tyres, gaining observe place by 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 crew was happy with an eighth-place end, particularly contemplating the factors had 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 major speaking factors of the Spanish Grand Prix. Gasly described the end 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, immediately appeared 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 automotive he has ever pushed. All through the weekend, he struggled to handle the automotive’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 apply classes, notably throughout FP3, when Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami skilled a miscommunication relating to a downshift downside. The strained change added additional stress on crew principal Fred Vasseur, who now faces the pressing activity of addressing inside coordination and automotive 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 “house”—a comment many interpreted as an indication that he might already be considering his future past Ferrari. Though contracted by 2026 with an possibility for 2027, hypothesis is rising that the seven-time world champion could also be exploring an early exit if the crew can’t ship instant 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 throughout the Scuderia.
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