Has the Italian Prancing Horse come up Lame?

Ferrari's troubling 2025

In Italy they say there are two religions, the Catholic Church and Ferrari. One led by an American pope and the other by a French Engineer. The world we know is changing. The 2025 season marks the first year of the Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari era. An era so far marked by minor highs but in the standards of the historic powerhouse from Maranello, disappointment.

Scuderia Ferrari HP, began the season with an early double DQ in China coming on the heels of a sprint win from Lewis Hamilton. This trend of marginal success followed by failures, continued throughout the first half of the season.

Car Troubles

Ferrari's on track performances are, by their own standards, underwhelming. With the McLarens running away from the field by a significant margin, the rest of the grid is at best fighting for second. Ferrari current holds that second spot, but with Mercedes seeming to find solutions to their technical gremlins that spot may not be secure for long.

The latest suspicion is that the car might not be capable of making a long full race run. Look at the improved performances on sprints, qualifying, and lower downforce package tracks. This latest bout in Hungary may have exposed the concerning problem with the red car. Charles Leclerc put in a single lap fast enough to take pole position but fell back to 4th finishing 42 seconds behind the winner. The trouble came in the final stint when the pace fell off. Leclerc was asked to lift and coast in high speed sections. seemingly to reduce wear in the greatest downforce demanding sections of the track. It was reported that Charles's last set of hard tires may have been aired over the optimum pressure rating to effectively increase the ride height. This height reduces the effectiveness of the aero and takes it out of the operating window that the car can perform its best in. Now, remember back to the double DQ in China where Hamilton's car was kicked for excessive plank wear. The troubling connection being that Ferrari might only be capable of having a fast car in short runs or low downforce packages. OR they are finding that the optimal operating window has the car rrrrrright on the edge of being legal and, are struggling to keep it there. What does this mean for the rest of the season? With a massive technical change coming next year the team will be faced with a decision. Putting additional development into the 2025 car, to hopefully maintain second place, taking away time and resources from the '26 car that is still an unknown. Are there lessons to be learned from the current struggles ? Lewis Hamilton is certainly trying. He has expressed that he wants his "DNA" in the 2026 Ferrari. Its reported that he is drafting documents for the engineering department on the things he wants to see in future development. This might be the most that Lewis has been involved on the engineering and development side that he has ever been in any team before.

The Struggles of Sir Lewis Hamilton

This year has been a rough one for Lewis Hamilton. Once the most dominant figure in Formula 1, his recent performance begs the question: what has changed for the seven-time world champion? Lewis has perpetually struggled with this generation of aero driven cars. Only finding limited success since the 2021 title fight with Max Verstappen. Those woes seem to have followed him to Italy, having so far only secured a sprint win and a additional sprint podium, as well as being 42 championship points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Is it simply a matter of adjusting to a new environment? We all knew going to a new team after sitting in the same championship winning seat for over ten years was going to bring challenges. Its not just learning how the new buttons on the steering wheel work, but transforming the entire way he knows how to drive! The Ferrari car has had a technical direction since this current regulation set began in 2022 and that is not something so easily changed just to suit a new driver. Look down the pit lane at Red Bull and the carousel of drivers that have struggled with a car that has a very clear development program around one driver in particular. Aside from the new car there is a whole new team management structure, new race engineers, and a famously Ferrari way of making decisions. All of these are brand new to Lewis. But how much is too much for the winningest driver in Formula one history? When does the excuse of "he's still getting used to it" run out? I suspect Lewis himself is asking himself the same question. His latest comments do not paint a pleasant picture, calling himself "useless" and "needing a new driver." Are we worried about Lewis? The unfortunate truth maybe that this move to Ferrari is an acknowledgment that there is an expiration date on the career of Lewis Hamilton. Not sure when but we know it exists. Is it posable to get WDC number 8 before that time runs out?

What about Chuck?

Charles Leclerc is not exempt from the drama of the Ferrari race season. He is holding, what looks to be a stable, fifth place in the drivers championship for now. Could that fifth be third? Leclerc has been able to put himself in to opportunity after opportunity to achieve great results. In a year absolutely dominated by the McLarens, a driver with a pole start, and multiple first and second row starts should be contending for best of the rest. This is showing to not be the case for Charles. The rather unfortunate silver lining for Leclerc is it may not be all his fault. The notorious circus that is the Ferrari pit wall consistently delivers setbacks and poor calls to its drivers. This year the Ferrari radio has brought some real gems, "it must be the water..." Is the discourse between drivers and engineers during the race an indication of broader issues? These interactions are not just limited to Leclerc. On multiple occasions both drivers have snapped back at their respective race engineers to leave them alone just let them drive. The speculation is that race strategy calls are being made by committee. Essentially, a situation is run up the chain, discussed, given approval, and then have to run all the way back to the driver. Look back to Monaco 2022 when Charles is told early in his lap to box, but only after he as entered pit lane, when it is far too late, is the decision relayed to him that he needs to stay out another lap. He is met by an unprepared pit crew costing time at a track where overtaking is famously imposable, converting a pole start into P4. The comedy of errors continues to this day. Charles is one of the strongest single lap drivers in the field and generally is a top contender on Qualifying day. However his pole to win conversion rate is only 18% converting just 5 poles in his career to victories. How does someone so capable of getting to the top of the starting order so frequently loose positions in an era notorious for difficult overtakes? Bad calls. Its that simple. When is enough enough for the young Monegasque? He has a contract until 2029 so while his seat is guaranteed his sanity may not hold out?

Ferrari Corporate: Is the Red Machine on the Wrong Road?

Since we have hit the summer break, we now look off track for answers. With the substantial investment made to bring Hamilton into the fold, is John Elkann, Ferrari Chairman, now worried about his the decision? Honestly, doubtful. The opportunity to get a 7 time champion on the roster is never one to be turned down. The management may have to look else where for its sacrifice. Historically Ferrari is not shy of ousting team bosses after lackluster performances. No team principal has lasted longer than five years since the teams last constructors title in 2008. Entering his third year as principal Fred Vasseur's position has already been called into question. The confirmation of Vasseur as team boss for the "foreseeable future" might ease concerns and indicates the belief in the mission. For now.

There is an old Gilles Villeneuve quote “When you go to Ferrari, and you see the facilities, the test track and everything else, you wonder how they ever manage to lose a race. Then over time you see all the politics and intrigue, and you wonder how they ever manage to win one.” Ferrari's greatest problem seems to be Ferrari. At its core the team needs to change. It can no longer be engrained in the ways of old man Enzo, just because you say you have the fastest car does not make it so. The modern Formula One team dynamic is one that that looks very different than when Ferrari last held the top step. Can they change the soul of Ferrari, or they are cursed as Sisyphus, destined to roll their car up the hill, only to have it come rolling back down once so near the top.