Ferrari direction for Lewis Hamilton debut year labelled “bold” but “a risk”
"It’s a bold move because there is scope to make bigger gains"
Ferrari’s developmental choices ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s first race have been called “a risk”.
Our journalists were on hand with team principal Fred Vasseur after the conclusion of last season when he revealed that the majority of their F1 car would change in 2025.
That is despite five grand prix wins in 2024, and finishing second in the constructors’ championship.
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“It’s easy to fall into the offseason winter hype with Ferrari,” Lewis Larkam told the Crash F1 podcast.
“We always hear murmurings coming from Italy…
“But how they ended last year competitively, there’s no reason why they can’t [be competitive again].
“It will be a tight season, particularly at the start. There will be at least three or four teams in the fight, Ferrari will be one of those.
“An interesting thing that we heard in Fred Vasseur’s pre-Christmas lunch was that 99% of the car would change.
“I thought that was interesting because of how competitively they ended last year.
“It feels like a bit of a risk, potentially. But it’s a bold move because there is scope to make bigger gains.
“Given they ended last year in a strong position, it is a bold strategic choice. Particularly when the focus is on 2026, the new regulations.
“But Ferrari are still going full tilt with their car from the start of this season.”
One Ferrari problem “to fix”
“When it comes to Ferrari and the offseason, there is always hype,” Connor McDonagh told the podcast.
“There are always reports in the Italian media that they have found half a second, or so much horsepower.
“There is reason to be optimistic because of last year. They fixed their issues in the middle of the season. From Monza onwards, it was McLaren v Ferrari.
“For the first time in decades their in-season development is on track.
“One thing they need to fix is qualifying, which is probably Hamilton’s weakness from last year.
“Getting the tyres up to temperature and extracting the most over one lap is one of their weaknesses.
“Leclerc is probably the best in qualifying over the grid but last year wasn’t his standout year - and I don’t think that’s his fault.
“That is the main concern.
“Also, how do they perform in high-speed corners? McLaren and Red Bull were ahead in high-speed corners.
“You have got to be cautious over the winter. If you take a wrong step, the porpoising could return.”
