Formula 1

Ferrari finishes strongly to put some gloss on disappointing season

Fraser Masefield
1 month ago
3 min read

For the famous Scuderia Ferrari F1 team, the 2025 season could be described as an ‘annus horribilis’. Literally translated as a ‘horrible year’.

A season that started with so much enthusiasm and potential with arguably the strongest driver pairing on the grid quickly turned into a nightmare.

Initially, there was reason to be cheerful. The messiah, Lewis Hamilton, won the Sprint Race in Shanghai. Things were looking good. Very good.

From then onwards? The statistics speak for themselves. No full race podium for Hamilton for the first time in his distinguished F1 career.

For Monegasque Leclerc, it was somewhat better. But not by the standards expected of the great Enzo Ferrari.

But a P4 finish in Abu Dhabi, pushing new F1 champion Lando Norris all the way to the chequered flag, shows there could be scope for improvement. Especially with the radical rule changes coming into effect.

“A huge thank you to our whole team, both at the track and at home in Italy, for all the hard work put in this year, as well as our Tifosi for their ongoing support. It’s been a tough season for us,” commented Leclerc on his team’s official website.

“Next season is still a blank slate, and we don’t know where the other teams stand, so we don’t have any real expectations yet. After this week, we will head back to Maranello to regroup, and our job will be to focus all our efforts on preparing for the season ahead as best as we can.”

For seven-time champion Hamilton? He has absolutely nothing left to prove in the game. But once a champ, always a champ.

And there seems unfinished business to emulate his fellow 7x champ Schumacher and win for Ferrari.

“It’s been a tough season, but the kindness and hard work of everyone at Ferrari means a lot to me,” commented Hamilton on the official Scuderia Ferrari website.

“I stand with team and know we have better times ahead. After testing, I’m looking forward to taking some time to switch off, spend time with my family and friends and will come back refreshed and stronger in January.”

Finally, Hamilton was one of the first to congratulate his fellow countryman Lando Norris, who became the 11th British F1 champion.

“Congratulations to Lando. It’s great to see a fellow Brit win the championship. I’m proud of the work he’s put in over the years, and this result is fully deserved.”

Fraser Masefield

Fraser is a sports and motorsports editor with over 25 years experience. The former head editor of WilliamsF1, BMW Motorsport, Jaguar Racing and Virgin Media, he has also worked for Autosport, ESPNF1 and Eurosport amongst others.

View all posts

You may also like