The 2025 Spanish GP weekend saw Ferrari take third with Charles Leclerc and sixth place with Lewis Hamilton in a drama-filled race.
A Weekend to Remember for Ferrari Despite the Team Not Being Where They Want to Be
Ferrari’s SF-25 showed improved handling, particularly in reducing understeer during Sunday’s race at the 2025 Spanish GP. However, the car still lacks downforce and struggles with tyre warm-up, particularly in medium and high-speed corners. These issues were evident as both drivers faced challenges in maintaining competitive lap times throughout the race, leading to Hamilton looking uncomfortable with balance issues.
A podium and points in Spain! 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/1CPuK7p5Oc
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 1, 2025
Friday FP1: Ferrari Find Early Form
Ferrari emerged as early contenders at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing among the top four in Friday’s opening practice session. Under clear skies and warm conditions, the pair delivered a solid start to their 2025 Spanish GP weekend for Ferrari.
Hamilton, despite mixed weekends previously, looked comfortable from the outset. His run to third place, just 0.378s off Lando Norris’ benchmark time, reflected pace on a track where he’s enjoyed success. While the Briton did not top the timesheets, his Ferrari appeared well-balanced, particularly in the high-speed corners that define this circuit.
Leclerc, meanwhile, was close behind in fourth. Despite impeding Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who voiced frustration over being held up, the Monegasque still managed a competitive lap, finishing just over half a second behind Norris.
Overall, Ferrari’s showing in FP1 suggested they were in the mix for the weekend, building on their success in Monaco. With both drivers comfortably inside the top five and the car responding well on the harder compounds, the team were keen to build on this momentum heading into FP2.
Friday FP2: A Tricky Session for the Scuderia
After a strong showing in the opening session, FP2 of the 2025 Spanish GP weekend saw Ferrari end on a mixed note. While Leclerc maintained solid form to finish fifth, Hamilton struggled for rhythm and ultimately slipped to 11th, nearly eight-tenths off the pace.
Leclerc, despite sliding during a push lap, kept the car on track and in contention. His ability to extract performance from the SF-25 remained evident as he slotted into the top five, once again leading the Ferrari charge.
However, his clean run was not without drama. During a sequence late in the session, Max Verstappen briefly picked up a tow from the Monegasque before Leclerc accelerated away to escape the turbulent air, drawing a chuckle from the Red Bull driver.
Hamilton, on the other hand, endured a more difficult outing. Having impressed with third place earlier in the day, the seven-time world champion found himself boxed in by traffic during FP2. One of the more notable incidents came when he inadvertently disrupted Fernando Alonso’s flying lap, prompting a pointed remark from the Spaniard over team radio.
This summed up Hamilton’s session: a stop-start in which he never looked fully comfortable in the car.
At the end of Friday, Ferrari found themselves with one car firmly in the mix and the other in need of answers. Leclerc’s pace suggests the team can challenge near the front this weekend, but Hamilton and his engineers would need to make significant progress overnight to push in Qualifying.
READ MORE: 2025 F2 Spanish GP: Lindblad and Verschoor Share Victory in Barcelona
Saturday FP3: Are Ferrari in the Mix?
Ferrari’s preparations for Qualifying took another step forward in Saturday’s final practice, with Leclerc once again leading the charge for the Scuderia in FP3. The Monegasque driver clocked the third-fastest time of the session, slotting in just over seven-tenths behind Piastri’s benchmark and a couple of tenths adrift of Norris.
Hamilton returned to the top 10 with a 1:13.527 after completing 14 laps, +1.140s behind Piastri’s dominant 1:12.387.
Ferrari would take confidence from Leclerc’s performance. He may not have had the outright pace to match Piastri, but his consistency across all three sessions meant he was a likely contender for the front two rows. As ever in Barcelona, grid position could prove vital, and Leclerc looked well-placed to make it count.
Saturday Qualifying: Hamilton Outpaces Leclerc as Ferrari Split the Third Row
Ferrari secured a second-row starting position for Sunday’s 2025 Spanish GP, with Hamilton qualifying fifth, one place ahead of teammate Leclerc. While the pair could not quite match McLaren’s dominant pace, they kept themselves firmly in the mix as the grid settled into fine margins.
Hamilton built on a mixed Friday showing by extracting a clean lap from his SF-25 when it mattered most. Although not challenging for the front row, the Briton found just enough in the final runs to slot in behind George Russell and ahead of Kimi Antonelli. His 1:12.045 effort saw him sit comfortably two-tenths clear of Leclerc, suggesting that Hamilton’s side of the garage had made gains overnight.
Leclerc, meanwhile, had shown flashes of speed through practice, but could not unlock the same level of pace when it counted in Q3. After completing his flying lap, he returned to the garage as he only had a single set of new tyres to use. He ended up seventh, his lowest grid slot of the weekend so far.
Despite missing out on the top four, Ferrari’s Qualifying performance represented a steady platform to work with on Sunday.
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Sunday GP:
Leclerc delivered an opportunistic drive to claim third place for Ferrari at the 2025 Spanish GP, securing another valuable podium in the Constructors’ battle. Elsewhere, Hamilton experienced another challenging afternoon, crossing the chequered flag in sixth after playing a team game early on.
LET’S GOOO @Charles_leclerc!! 👌
P3 in Barcelona!! 👏🏆 pic.twitter.com/usr3Ez4oJJ
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 1, 2025
From lights out, Ferrari’s strategy leaned in Leclerc’s favour.
As Hamilton struggled to find grip during the opening phase, Leclerc quickly closed in, prompting the team to order a switch between the two drivers on lap 10. Hamilton obliged at Turn 1, allowing Leclerc to gather momentum in clear air in pursuit of Piastri, Verstappen, and Norris.
Though not directly in the fight with the McLarens out front, Leclerc kept the pressure on Verstappen for the final podium place as the race entered its closing stages. The defining moment came after a late safety car bunched the field together. At the restart, Verstappen struggled with grip and composure, allowing Leclerc to glide past and move up to third.
Behind him, Hamilton’s race never quite came alive.
Hulkenberg passed Hamilton for P6 on the penultimate lap, which becomes P5 after Verstappen’s penalty
What a result for Hulkenberg and Kick Sauber! 👏#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/WkoRrBFa5W
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025
After losing track position to Leclerc, he could not recover the deficit, despite switching to the medium compound for his second stint. The Briton ran a relatively quiet second half of the 2025 Spanish GP, eventually finishing sixth after Verstappen’s penalty adjusted the order.
For Ferrari, the outcome was not what was originally hoped for. Despite Leclerc’s podium, it was another afternoon of question marks for Hamilton, who was left to wonder what might have been had the early pace come together.
Team Standings
Ferrari now sit second in the Constructors’ Championship with 165 points, 197 behind McLaren on 362. However, if the Scuderia want to maintain this position, gains must be made, and fast, as the grid heads to Canada next for the Canadian Grand Prix.
READ NEXT: 2025 Spanish GP: Oscar Piastri Wins a Drama-Filled Race
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / ANP
Recording Date: 01.06.2025
