The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix was supposed to be Ferrari’s turning point. After a lackluster start to the season, the team rolled into Sakhir with a much-hyped upgrade package, promising to unleash the full potential of the SF-25. Fans held their breath, expecting Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to finally challenge the frontrunners. Instead, the desert night delivered a gut punch—and Leclerc didn’t hold back, dropping a bombshell that has sent shockwaves through the paddock.
Ferrari’s race was far from a triumph. Leclerc, starting second, fought tooth and nail but finished a frustrating fourth, overtaken late by a relentless Lando Norris. Hamilton, meanwhile, crossed the line in fifth—a respectable result, but hardly the podium Ferrari craved. The new floor and aerodynamic tweaks were meant to close the gap to McLaren and Mercedes. Yet, despite flashes of pace, the scarlet cars lacked the raw speed to compete for the win. The double-stack pit strategy raised eyebrows, but it was the car’s fundamental flaws that left Leclerc fuming.
Post-race, Leclerc’s usual composure cracked. “We’re just not fast enough,” he admitted, his voice laced with frustration. But it was his next words that stunned everyone: “This isn’t a quick fix. The path back to the front is longer than I’d want—much longer.” For a team banking on immediate gains, this was a brutal reality check. Leclerc’s candid assessment exposed a deeper issue: Ferrari’s upgrades, while a step forward, were nowhere near enough to challenge for the championship. The SF-25, he hinted, might be plagued by a “disease” that no single update can cure.
The Monegasque’s comments have ignited speculation. Is Ferrari’s 2025 campaign already doomed? Leclerc’s pointed remarks about needing “more downforce, more grip” suggest a car that’s fundamentally off the pace. His defense of the team’s strategy—despite a poorly timed Safety Car wiping out his tyre advantage—only underscored the bigger problem: no strategy can compensate for a lack of outright speed. Fans on social media are buzzing, with some calling Leclerc’s outburst a wake-up call for Ferrari’s engineers, while others fear it signals deeper turmoil within Maranello.
Hamilton, on the other hand, struck a more optimistic tone, claiming he’d found a “feeling” with the car during the race’s middle stint. But even his best result yet with Ferrari—fifth—feels like a consolation prize for a seven-time champion. The contrast between the teammates’ outlooks only adds fuel to the fire. Is Leclerc losing faith, or is he just being brutally honest?
As Ferrari heads to Saudi Arabia, the pressure is mounting. Leclerc’s bombshell has laid bare the team’s vulnerabilities, and the clock is ticking to find answers. With McLaren’s Oscar Piastri dominating Bahrain and Norris hot on his heels, Ferrari risks being left in the dust. One thing’s clear: Leclerc’s not sugarcoating the truth anymore. The question now is whether Ferrari can rise from this disaster—or if 2025 will be another year of unfulfilled promises.[](https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-concern-as-ferrari-plagued-by-disease—international-media-reacts)[](https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-not-fast-enough-admits-charles-leclerc-bahrain-podium-miss)
