At the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari’s weekend went from promising to painful in less than 48 hours. McLaren celebrated its second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, while Ferrari found itself stuck in a frustrating cycle of missed opportunities, technical issues, and strategy slips that left its drivers fuming and fans shaking their heads.
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Strong Start, Slow Decline
The early sessions hinted at something different. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were in the top four during FP1, their cars showing pace on the tight Marina Bay circuit. But that confidence faded by Saturday. Ferrari’s one-lap performance deserted them when it mattered most. Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur summed it up bluntly: “We started the weekend strong, but in qualifying we weren’t able to fully utilize the car’s potential.”
That shortfall set the tone. Starting mid-pack in Singapore is like playing chess in a phone booth. Leclerc’s race was effectively compromised before it began, and Hamilton’s only advantage came from trying something different with strategy — a decision that both helped and haunted him later.
Leclerc’s Battle Against the Car
Leclerc’s evening was a mix of skill and suffering. A strong start on soft tyres saw him climb to fifth, but once the pit stops began, his momentum disappeared. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli overtook him, and from that point on, Leclerc’s Ferrari struggled with rising temperatures and inconsistent grip.
“The cooling problem limited everything,” Leclerc admitted after the race. “It was impossible to gain positions in traffic. We were fighting the car all weekend.”
By the checkered flag, sixth place was all he could manage — a fair reflection of a weekend that started with optimism and ended with damage control. His frustration was evident, but so was his intent to bounce back in Austin. “We need to analyze it carefully and come back stronger,” he added.
Hamilton’s “Mega Pace” Turns Costly
If Leclerc’s struggles were steady, Hamilton’s race was chaos in fast forward. The seven-time champion was the only front-runner to gamble on a two-stop strategy. It looked like a masterstroke when, on fresh soft tyres, he began tearing through the midfield with blistering pace. His lap times were so strong that Vasseur later called it “mega pace” — a phrase that would come to haunt the team.
Hamilton caught and passed Leclerc cleanly and began hunting Antonelli with five laps to go. But the chase overheated more than his brakes. “I was pushing too hard to catch the leaders,” Vasseur admitted. The relentless charge cooked the system, forcing Hamilton to back off. Alonso almost caught him after closing a 40-second gap, and though Hamilton crossed the line ahead, a string of track-limit violations earned him a five-second penalty that dropped him to eighth.
Post-race, Hamilton stayed composed. “There were positives. The car felt good in the final third. I just pushed too hard,” he said, looking ahead to Austin. “We’ll come back stronger.”
Ferrari’s Reality Check
While McLaren celebrated its second Constructors’ title since the Senna era, Ferrari faced some harsh arithmetic. They now sit 25 points behind Mercedes and only 10 ahead of Red Bull. The team’s trajectory has dipped, and Vasseur knows it. “We’ve clearly fallen behind our rivals in the last two races,” he admitted. “We need to improve both the car and how we execute the weekend.”
The numbers tell a larger story — one of inconsistency rather than failure. Ferrari still has six races left, but with Red Bull’s recent gains and Mercedes rediscovering pace, the fight for second looks like a street brawl. The Constructors’ standings are tightening, and Ferrari’s technical gremlins are beginning to sting.
Eyes on Austin
Ferrari’s next shot at redemption comes at the Circuit of the Americas. The team knows that McLaren’s dominance is out of reach, but there’s pride to be salvaged in finishing strong. Hamilton’s raw pace showed that the car still has teeth. Leclerc’s composure under pressure reminded everyone that Ferrari’s driver lineup remains world-class. What’s missing is a clean weekend — one without system failures, strategy hiccups, or costly penalties.
For now, McLaren basks in glory while Ferrari is left asking tough questions. If Singapore was a test of endurance, Ferrari passed on grit but failed on execution. The prancing horse is limping, but it’s not down yet.
