2025 Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team

[AR3-GP]

BBC’s Andrew Benson reports Hamilton’s deal runs until the end of 2027 and Leclerc’s until 2029.

It's already confirmed that there are multiple exit clause and options to exit from these contracts way earlier, especially for Leclerc.
Anyway Perez must be absolutely shocked after trying the SF 23 today

Then imagine what Checo must think after realizing Charles occasionally beat him in that car while he had the RB19...

Wasn't the SF23 understeery? He would be right at home.

[Xyz22]

It's already confirmed that there are multiple exit clause and options to exit from these contracts way earlier, especially for Leclerc.
Anyway Perez must be absolutely shocked after trying the SF 23 today

Then imagine what Checo must think after realizing Charles occasionally beat him in that car while he had the RB19...

Wasn't the SF23 understeery? He would be right at home.

It was to an extent. The issue is that the balance was all over the place and the tyre deg was immense

[deadhead]

Then imagine what Checo must think after realizing Charles occasionally beat him in that car while he had the RB19...

Wasn't the SF23 understeery? He would be right at home.

It was to an extent. The issue is that the balance was all over the place and the tyre deg was immense

Horrible car and yet it has more wins than the SF25!

[CRazyLemon]

and with that double DNF, Ferrari has dropped to 4th in the constructors

That is the best place for them for more cfd and wind tunnel time for 2026. 2nd or 4th in wcc does not matter, only 1st matters.

From the outside I fully agree 4th is better than 2nd, but then I realised that people's bonuses may be attached to this. Maybe that it why Elkann called out the pit stop championship, because that team deserves bonuses and the drivers should do their best to secure that for them. Just a thought, I don't have facts on bonus structures.

[Farnborough]

and with that double DNF, Ferrari has dropped to 4th in the constructors

That is the best place for them for more cfd and wind tunnel time for 2026. 2nd or 4th in wcc does not matter, only 1st matters.

From the outside I fully agree 4th is better than 2nd, but then I realised that people's bonuses may be attached to this. Maybe that it why Elkann called out the pit stop championship, because that team deserves bonuses and the drivers should do their best to secure that for them. Just a thought, I don't have facts on bonus structures.

That's definitely a big deal to anyone I've spoken to in teams over the years.

A huge motivation, and pride in beating another, no matter what position.

[PlatinumZealot]

I would also be unhappy if I gave 100kk (and most likely more) for results worse than Carlos Sainz for 20kk

I think it's still strange to me that Hamilton has done worse than Sainz. I always knew he would lose to Leclerc based on his performance relative to George since late 23. But the gap is very bad. Also, everyone who is not straight up delusional could see that it was never a sporting decision however which makes Elkanns comments even more dumb. I thought Ferrari wanted good marketing and it's no doubt Hamilton that brings the most marketing by far of all the drivers.

Sainz is a very quick driver. His performance against Verstappen(albeit very young), Norris, and Leclerc bears that out.

Given Hamilton's performance against Russell who I deem about equal in ultimate one lap pace, it was pretty clear performance wasn't the sole reason Hamilton was chosen. His organizational experience and marketing potential are far in excess of Sainz despite his apparent gap in performance to Leclerc, so Elkann should be leveraging that instead of pushing back. But what do I know...

There is also an emotional factor with Lewis. If he doesn't feel he can win he won't try as hard. Pretty much China and British GP was classic Lewis. On the other aspect of the sport, he seems to be thinking that how he gave input at Mercedes in 2013 will work with Ferrari... I am not sure what is happening behind those doors, but the Ferrari track-side people seem to be listening to him (see his urging them to focus on tyre warm-up when going out in Q), but not the top brass. The top brass wants to hear none of his "McLaren Mercedes nonsense!"

[Seanspeed]

I think it's still strange to me that Hamilton has done worse than Sainz. I always knew he would lose to Leclerc based on his performance relative to George since late 23. But the gap is very bad. Also, everyone who is not straight up delusional could see that it was never a sporting decision however which makes Elkanns comments even more dumb. I thought Ferrari wanted good marketing and it's no doubt Hamilton that brings the most marketing by far of all the drivers.

Sainz is a very quick driver. His performance against Verstappen(albeit very young), Norris, and Leclerc bears that out.

Given Hamilton's performance against Russell who I deem about equal in ultimate one lap pace, it was pretty clear performance wasn't the sole reason Hamilton was chosen. His organizational experience and marketing potential are far in excess of Sainz despite his apparent gap in performance to Leclerc, so Elkann should be leveraging that instead of pushing back. But what do I know...

There is also an emotional factor with Lewis. If he doesn't feel he can win he won't try as hard. Pretty much China and British GP was classic Lewis. On the other aspect of the sport, he seems to be thinking that how he gave input at Mercedes in 2013 will work with Ferrari... I am not sure what is happening behind those doors, but the Ferrari track-side people seem to be listening to him (see his urging them to focus on tyre warm-up when going out in Q), but not the top brass. The top brass wants to hear none of his "McLaren Mercedes nonsense!"

What 'organizational experience' does he actually have? He's a driver.

Typically in F1, if you can build a great car, the rest will follow. That needs to be Ferrari's #1 priority. Not disrupting the team's organization based on the whims of a driver with an overinflated sense of importance.

[PlatinumZealot]

Sainz is a very quick driver. His performance against Verstappen(albeit very young), Norris, and Leclerc bears that out.

Given Hamilton's performance against Russell who I deem about equal in ultimate one lap pace, it was pretty clear performance wasn't the sole reason Hamilton was chosen. His organizational experience and marketing potential are far in excess of Sainz despite his apparent gap in performance to Leclerc, so Elkann should be leveraging that instead of pushing back. But what do I know...

There is also an emotional factor with Lewis. If he doesn't feel he can win he won't try as hard. Pretty much China and British GP was classic Lewis. On the other aspect of the sport, he seems to be thinking that how he gave input at Mercedes in 2013 will work with Ferrari... I am not sure what is happening behind those doors, but the Ferrari track-side people seem to be listening to him (see his urging them to focus on tyre warm-up when going out in Q), but not the top brass. The top brass wants to hear none of his "McLaren Mercedes nonsense!"

What 'organizational experience' does he actually have? He's a driver.

Typically in F1, if you can build a great car, the rest will follow. That needs to be Ferrari's #1 priority. Not disrupting the team's organization based on the whims of a driver with an overinflated sense of importance.

The workers from other orgs will know of the different processes and how well they work though.

In car design the drivers will see little bits and peices of how many designers there are, who works on what and how the department heads integrate themselves etc.

[ScuderiaLeo]

Not much detail but Autoracer is reporting the driver's feedback on the 2026 car has improved dramatically in the past few months and the mood toward next season has become more positive overall as the different departments keep refining their parts.

I'm a little surprised since mostly they've been reporting the opposite this season (low morale). But it's good to hear the team feels they're going in the right direction even if I don't trust it

[Emag]

It's always Ferrari that has these stories leaked out lmao. In any case, if your car feels horrible when you try it in the simulator in March, and then it still feels horrible again by November, then something would have gone terribly wrong. I doubt there's any team out there who hasn't improved the feel of the car (theoretically) for the drivers throughout the year.

[Xyz22]

It's always Ferrari that has these stories leaked out lmao. In any case, if your car feels horrible when you try it in the simulator in March, and then it still feels horrible again by November, then something would have gone terribly wrong. I doubt there's any team out there who hasn't improved the feel of the car (theoretically) for the drivers throughout the year.

Correct. As usual, people are "overreacting" about something absolutely normal.

[AR3-GP]

It's always Ferrari that has these stories leaked out lmao. In any case, if your car feels horrible when you try it in the simulator in March, and then it still feels horrible again by November, then something would have gone terribly wrong. I doubt there's any team out there who hasn't improved the feel of the car (theoretically) for the drivers throughout the year.

Last week the drivers were under fire by the boss for talking too negatively. This week they are singing positives about 2026...

Elkann is a very powerful individual...

[Seanspeed]

The workers from other orgs will know of the different processes and how well they work though.

In car design the drivers will see little bits and peices of how many designers there are, who works on what and how the department heads integrate themselves etc.

Lewis will know very little about what the *actual* processes are of the rest of the team when it comes all the important bits that make a difference, though. He couldn't know this, because he's never done it as a job. It's the height of arrogance to think driving an F1 car makes you an expert on how to run other departments of an F1 team that you have no experience with whatsoever. As if all those other department leads are somehow just fools who need a freaking DRIVER to tell them how to do better. It's massively insulting. It's like if you were a software engineer and some guy who makes coffee is telling you that you're doing it all wrong. Completely disrespects the expertise involved at all levels in an F1 team.

All the important aspects of getting a department to work well require good people management and genuine experience within that field. The idea that a DRIVER would know better is insanity.

Lewis saw the very surface level stuff within the organization, but never the actual real, serious behind the scenes, day-to-day work.

I'm sorry but Ferrari top brass have all reason in the world to tell Lewis to piss off when it comes to making changes to the organizational situation of Ferrari. And I'm not saying Ferrari dont have organizational issues, but Lewis, or any driver, will not be the person who can properly identify where those issues are and how to change them.

It really is just indicative of what I've disliked about Lewis for so long - he's hugely arrogant. I respect(ed) his driving skills immensely, but so much outside of that makes it seem like the guy really thinks his farts smell like perfume.