Ferrari ended the first half of the season with a frustrating afternoon in Hungary, as Charles Leclerc fell first place in the opening stages to fourth across the line.
Despite claiming Pole Position, Leclerc could not match the McLaren’s across a race distance.
Even Russell finished ahead of the Monegasque, who was forced to lift and coast for much of the race.
Ferrari were on the limit with their plank wear at the Hungaroring, opting for a risky set-up that (whilst effective in qualifying) was not sustainable on Sunday.
Although the SF-25’s decline was disappointing, Fred Vasseur is optimistic about the team’s pace.
Vasseur maintains positive outlook
It was roughly one year ago that Ferrari claimed victory at the Italian GP, courtesy of their Monza upgrades.
Following a difficult patch during the European leg of the season, Vasseur’s team responded strongly in 2024.
Twelve months later, the chance of a mid-season resurgence are relatively slim.
Ferrari have already switched their focus to the 2026 regulations, dedicating all of their resources to that project.
For an engine manufacturer like Ferrari, the difficulty of producing a new engine only elevates the challenge.
This means no improvements will arrive to the SF-25, presenting a clear limiting factor.
Still, the Scuderia still want to end this year on a positive note.
With McLaren well beyond reach, their objective is to claim second in the Championship.
As Red Bull struggle and Mercedes battle their own inconsistencies, finishing runner-up is a realistic goal.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Dutch GP, team principal Fred Vasseur was upbeat in his analysis:
“We’re back on track after the summer break, which gave the team and the drivers a chance to recharge – ready to face a very busy final part of the season.
“In the Netherlands, we want to maintain the positive momentum built up over the past few races, where we made progress in terms of competitiveness.
“Charles and Lewis are ready, and the team is fully focused, determined to put them in the best possible position to get some good results.
“This weekend, that means starting right from qualifying.
“Which is particularly crucial at Zandvoort, given how difficult overtaking can be at this track.”
Ferrari focused on damage limitation
Given that Ferrari haven’t won an F1 Championship in almost two decades, finishing 2nd in this year’s constructors standings would equal their best results in recent years.
Of course, a team with the resources at Ferrari’s disposal do not aim for second place.
At the end of last year’s campaign, the Maranello team were legitimate threats to McLaren.
Sainz and Leclerc won two races each in 2024, narrowly missing out on the constructors title in the final race.
During pre-season, the expectation was that Ferrari would fight for the Championship with McLaren.
The Scuderia were generally seen as more likely than Red Bull to upset the supremacy of Andrea Stella’s team.
It didn’t take long for these hopes to fade, even if Vasseur was adamant about the SF-25’s potential for some time.
With Piastri and Norris in a clear title fight, the rest of the field must accept they are not protagonists.
In the case of Ferrari, however, there might be opportunities to pick up the pieces of McLaren drop the ball before the end of the season.
To some extent, winning a race of securing regular podiums would help ease some of Ferrari’s frustrations in 2025.
Ultimately, though, the Italian squad understand the pressure is on to deliver at the highest level in 2026.
Main photo: Scuderia Ferrari media gallery