Ferrari’s start to the 2025 season hasn’t been easy, but there are signs of hope. Charles Leclerc gave the team a boost in Saudi Arabia with a brilliant drive to the podium. However, both Leclerc and team boss Fred Vasseur know the current SF-25 car still isn’t quick enough, especially when compared to rivals like McLaren and their impressive MCL39.

Leclerc pointed out that Ferrari struggles most in qualifying. “Our race pace is actually quite good,” he said, “but we’re losing out because we can’t match the others over a single lap.”

Vasseur agreed, saying: “If we are not further ahead it is because of qualifying, that is clear.” He added, “We need to be more consistent over the whole weekend, in all sessions, and do a better job.”

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In Bahrain, Ferrari brought the first big upgrade of the season, which was a major change to the floor of the SF-25. The team hoped it would help them close the gap to the front of the grid but even with the updated floor performing as expected, Ferrari couldn’t quite match McLaren’s pace.

The good news is that Ferrari believes it now understands where the problems lie. The team is sticking with the same development approach it used last year and is focusing on steady progress, race by race.

“We have to be honest with ourselves and analyse the situation,” Vasseur explained. “When you understand where the problems are, you can work to solve them, and we think we have understood where to intervene.”

As for when Ferrari will bring their next upgrades, it won’t be at the next race in Miami. The Sprint format there means there’s only one practice session, so there’s not enough time to test new parts properly.

“Miami, there is the Sprint race and little time to work; we will probably bring updates to Imola,” Vasseur confirmed.

With the European races starting soon, and upgrades planned for Ferrari’s home race at Imola, the team hopes to close the gap. Vasseur remains positive: “We push together and the results will come."