New Lewis Hamilton setback as Ferrari SF-25 upgrade plans e...

Hamilton Faces Frustration as Ferrari Downgrades SF-25 Upgrade for Imola

Lewis Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari has hit another roadblock, as the team has confirmed it will bring only a minor update to the SF-25 for the upcoming Imola Grand Prix, rather than the significant upgrade initially anticipated. Team principal Fred Vasseur clarified that the development set for the Emilia Romagna GP will be just a “small step” forward, not the major leap Ferrari fans and drivers were hoping for.

This news is especially concerning for both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc, who have voiced growing frustration over the car’s performance. The SF-25 has struggled to match the pace of Red Bull, McLaren, and even Mercedes in recent races. This lack of competitiveness was once again evident during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, where both drivers encountered difficulties.

Although Hamilton showed some promise by finishing third in the Sprint race, qualifying and the main race told a different story. The seven-time World Champion was unable to advance beyond Q2, ending up 12th on the grid. Leclerc managed eighth, but neither driver felt the car was performing to its potential.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Leclerc finished in seventh place, while Hamilton crossed the line just behind in eighth. Hamilton, however, was notably frustrated throughout the race, frequently voicing concerns over the radio about the car’s lack of pace and communication issues with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.

After the race, Hamilton spoke to media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, to express his disappointment and confusion about Ferrari’s performance struggles. “I think this car really does have performance,” he said. “We’re just not… something’s holding us back at the moment.”

He believes the team has lost ground since the Chinese Grand Prix, where Ferrari had looked more competitive. “We’ve lost performance since China. It’s there, it’s just we can’t use it. So we need a fix for that,” Hamilton said, pointing to underlying issues with the car that have yet to be addressed.

Despite the setback, Hamilton remains hopeful that Ferrari can turn things around. He’s confident that once the current limitations are resolved, the team can battle with the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes. “I truly believe that when we fix some of the problems that we have with the car, we’ll be back in the fight with the Mercedes, with the Bulls, and it just can’t come quicker,” he added.

Ferrari had initially targeted Imola as a key weekend for introducing upgrades that could reignite their season. Now, with the scaled-down development plan, expectations have been dampened. As the European leg of the season kicks off, Ferrari will be under increasing pressure to deliver meaningful performance gains—especially with a star driver like Hamilton growing visibly impatient.

With the season still in its early stages, there is time to recover. But without faster progress, Hamilton’s dream of a winning start with Ferrari may have to wait a little longer.