Ferrari Won’t Change Approach After Slow Start to 2025 F1 Season

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur insists that his team will not change their strategy despite a disappointing first three races of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Charles Leclerc`s fourth place and Lewis Hamilton`s seventh place in Japan were Ferrari`s best results of the 2025 season so far, but the team is still 76 points behind McLaren in the Constructors` Championship.

A double disqualification in China seems to have forced Ferrari to raise the ride height of their car more than they wanted, which negatively impacted their performance.

Leclerc felt he maximized his weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix by starting and finishing fourth. However, he acknowledged that it is “not great” to still be 16 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen.

Vasseur stated, “We started similarly in the last two years. But we don`t need to change our approach. A year ago, we were in almost the same situation, perhaps even slightly worse in terms of pace, and the team`s response was very strong.”

“We worked as a team, made small improvements step by step, and we must maintain the same approach this season. Of course, it`s not ideal, and I would prefer to win the first two or three races.”

Vasseur also mentioned that Ferrari was off the pace 12 months prior, before recovering to win five races and narrowly miss the constructors` title by only 14 points.

He believes there is no “magic solution” and that Ferrari will likely need to improve in several areas by small margins.

“Last year, we were on average six-tenths slower, and we managed to close the gap during the season,” Vasseur added.

“We need to maintain the same approach. Regardless of the gap or today`s results, we must strive to do a better job next week to enhance both the car`s potential and how we utilize it. We need to improve in every aspect.”

Hamilton, who has only scored 15 points in his first season with Ferrari, acknowledges the fading hopes for a record-breaking eighth world title this year.

After the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton mentioned that a component on his car is “underperforming,” but indicated this issue is not present on Leclerc`s car.

Hamilton believes Ferrari needs to improve “everywhere” but is optimistic about being more competitive in Bahrain, where the track`s slower corners and long straights should suit their car better.

Hamilton: Gap is Significant

“It will be interesting. I just hope we are a bit closer,” Hamilton said.

“We were probably the fourth fastest in Japan and we are a bit off in terms of downforce level wise, so we have some work to do to close the gap.”

“We will slowly improve the car. It will be interesting to see when teams bring upgrades during the season. We have a lot of work to do to close the gap to the top teams, who are probably three or four tenths ahead of us, so we need to bring upgrades to address that.”