Charles Leclerc scored the first podium of the season for Ferrari in the 2025 season at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. The Monégasque held off Lando Norris, despite being on older and slower tyres. This was a great result, which surprised even Leclerc.
Despite a strong weekend for Leclerc, it was another testing race for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion finished a lowly P7, although he did show flashes of pace in the race. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has said his team needs more consistency if they are to push forward.
Fred Vasseur says Ferrari needs to be more consistent despite the first podium in Saudi Arabia
Charles Leclerc recorded Ferrari’s first podium finish through a different strategy. The Ferrari driver stayed out longer on the medium tyres than his rivals and was able to catch and pass George Russell. He was closing in on Verstappen and Piastri but ran out of laps. Fred Vasseur wants to use this race as a building block for the season, but warns that Ferrari needs to be more consistent.
After the race, the Frenchman said: “I think we can build the rest of the season from maybe this weekend. But to be sure, we need to be more consistent. We probably missed out on a P3 in qualifying yesterday. When you start P4, you get dirty air and it’s more difficult. But overall, it was a good weekend for the team.
“But we need to be more consistent—from Monday morning onwards, really. We need to be there for the whole session, the whole qualifying, to start in a better position, because the potential is definitely there. Consistency is the key for us.”
Ferrari has struggled to string a whole weekend together. They have been unable to turn their tyres on for qualifying, leaving them an uphill battle in the race. If they can click their qualifying together, Ferrari could be a threat to McLaren and Red Bull in the championship battle.
Vasseur praises Charles Leclerc after Saudi Arabia Grand Prix podium
Fred Vasseur was full of praise for Charles Leclerc after securing Ferrari’s first podium of the season. He was happy with how Leclerc managed his strategy and looked after his tyres. However, Vasseur said Hamilton had a tough weekend and lacked a little pace.
Vasseur said: “I feel like he (Charles) was strong all the way to the end, even with the Hard. But from the start, he was a bit conservative. He knew the strategy was to go long, and he executed that very well from the first lap to the end. I think he approached every stint like a quality run, and the tyre management was very good as well.
“It was a tough weekend for him. He was a bit off, even in the race, although he had a good first stint and a strong first part of the second stint.”
Lewis Hamilton Frustrated After Ferrari Debut at Australian GP
Lewis Hamilton is not as fast as his Ferrari teammate Leclerc. He admitted he isn’t “gelling” with the SF-25. This is not surprising after spending twelve years with Mercedes. However, if anyone can adapt, it is the seven-time world champion. He has won a sprint race in red, and as each race goes by, Hamilton will learn about the car. In time, he could be a real asset to the Scuderia.
