Charles Leclerc has opened up about Ferrari’s battle with Mercedes for second in the Constructors’ Championship, their striking underperformance, team morale, and what their expectations are for the remaining races of the 2025 F1 season.
After Ferrari fell short of the Constructors’ title by only 14 points in 2024, many expected them to contend for both championships this season. However, the Italian team has yet to secure a victory in the Grand Prix format in 2025.
While McLaren have already wrapped up their 10th Constructors’ title with six rounds remaining, the Scuderia have dropped to third in the standings, 352 points adrift. In fact, they now risk finishing outside the top three for the first time since 2020, with Mercedes delivering strong results in recent weekends and Red Bull undergoing a major resurgence since Monza.
It was Charles Leclerc who had scored the most points of any driver after the 2024 F1 summer break. He also secured two victories in that period at the Italian and the United States Grands Prix. Meanwhile, former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had emerged victorious in Mexico.
Unlike last year, the Prancing Horse unfortunately doesn’t appear to have found its feet post-summer break. With no upgrades in the pipeline, it’s highly unlikely that they would turn their fortunes around and emerge as the second force in the final third of the season.
Ferrari hoping for soaring temperatures
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the F1 Singapore GP, Charles Leclerc touched on their tight battle with Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship and revealed where he expects the SF-25 to fare relatively better in the remaining races of the season.
Emphasising how Mercedes typically thrive in cooler conditions, the Monégasque surmised that high track temperatures in Austin and Mexico City might allow Ferrari to capitalise on the W16’s weaknesses and recover some lost ground.
“I think we are in a very different place to last year. However, to resume it in the simplest way, I feel like Mercedes is very strong whenever it’s cold, and we seem to be stronger whenever it’s warm.
“Looking at the next few races, I hope it’s as warm as it can get, so we have an advantage. I feel like this is what is going to swing the performance one way or another more than any other track characteristic. This is where we stand, and we’ll see how it goes.”
A Ferrari victory in 2025 very unlikely
Asked if a Ferrari win is still on the cards in the F1 2025 season, Charles Leclerc responded that it’s highly improbable given how the MCL39 excels at every circuit, regardless of track conditions.
The 27-year-old also claimed that Ferrari would have the upper hand on Mercedes if the weather gods favour them in any of the upcoming races. Furthermore, highlighting the unique characteristics of the circuit, he reckoned that Las Vegas might offer the Italian squad their only remaining chance, albeit slim, of grabbing their first Grand Prix victory this year.
“I think it’s very unlikely, just because unfortunately McLaren is also very strong when it’s warm. Compared to our main competitors, we might be stronger—so, against Mercedes, I think we have chances to be stronger on those races, and I think we’ll be stronger on those races.
“However, compared to McLaren, I don’t think we’ll have the upper hand. But never say never.
“Maybe another chance might be Vegas, where things are so strange on this track—tyre management, etc. can be a big thing in the race. Maybe there will be an opportunity as well, but very little opportunity—less than the number [20%] I said for Max [Verstappen] earlier for the championship! Quite unlikely.”
Entire team is disappointed
With regard to how much frustration and disappointment he is harbouring due to Ferrari’s staggering underperformance in 2025 following the pre-season hype, Charles Leclerc clarified that the entire team is dissatisfied with their inability to challenge for the top position in the F1 Constructors’ standings this year.
“We are all disappointed as a team, and especially with Ferrari you are always targeting to be back on top and not to fight for second, third, or fourth place in the Constructors’. That’s not what we want. We are not happy, and we’ve got to do better. That’s very clear for every member of the team.”
Ferrari still looking for solutions
In terms of why Ferrari have dropped the ball massively after nearly clinching the F1 Constructors’ title in 2024, Charles Leclerc admitted that he doesn’t have a definitive answer. Explaining that their troubles don’t stem from a single source, the eight-time race winner recognised McLaren as the only top team to have taken a significant step forward since last season.
Acknowledging Red Bull’s recent revival, Leclerc also stated that they are concentrating their efforts on unearthing the root of their problems, comprehending how McLaren are maintaining such an edge over the rest of the field, and looking for appropriate solutions.
“Honestly, if I knew exactly the area where we are lacking, it would be easy work. It’s not as easy as that but what I can say is that Mercedes, Red Bull, and ourselves kind of did the same step from last year to this year, but there’s one team that found something special, and that is McLaren.
“Now it’s up to us to understand what they’ve done so special in order to close that gap. I think Red Bull probably found part of the solution—we could see that in the last few races. Mercedes and ourselves didn’t yet, and we are working towards that.
“We know the areas; how we achieve that is another story, and there’s a lot of work to understand and find the solutions. McLaren did a step that nobody else did.”
