Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is hoping for a "miracle" to help his team compete with the front-runners at the Dutch Grand Prix, following what he described as the worst Friday of the 2025 Formula 1 season at Zandvoort.
Leclerc, who has secured five podium finishes this year, admitted that Friday's practice sessions were a "wake-up call" for the team. Both he and teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to keep pace with the leading teams, finishing outside the top 13 in the first practice session and only improving to eighth and sixth, respectively, in the second session. They were nearly a second off the pace set by McLaren's Lando Norris.
Leclerc noted that Ferrari's car was particularly weak in the middle sector of the track, which features long-radius corners. "We are losing basically 90 per cent of the time in two corners," he said. "There's something our car cannot do at the moment, and we are trying to find out why it's so concentrated on two corners. We will try to find a solution."
Reflecting on the team's performance, Leclerc acknowledged the challenging nature of the season. "It's a very strange season. I would never have said I would be on pole in Budapest. I don't want to have a target because after a difficult weekend, it's not an exciting target, but I'm looking forward to trying to turn the situation around and to make a miracle. But it won't be an easy weekend for us."
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, who spun twice during Friday's practice sessions, was more optimistic about Ferrari's prospects. The seven-time world champion attributed his spins to pushing too hard and expressed confidence in the team's ability to improve. "It's not been the worst of days. We were making progress. We were quite far off in FP1, a lot more than normal," he said.
Hamilton acknowledged that there was still work to be done with the car's setup, particularly in terms of pace. "The first lap felt pretty decent, then it was bit of a challenge. We made some progress over lunch but still quite a chunk off. We have some work to do with the set-up. Pace-wise, I don't know how we will find eight tenths but we will try our best."
The Dutch Grand Prix, which marks Ferrari's return to competition after the summer break, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Fans can watch the final practice session starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 2 p.m. The race itself will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m.
-Saturday, August 30:
- 9:20 a.m.: F1 Academy Qualifying
- 10:05 a.m.: Dutch Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 10:30 a.m.)
- 1 p.m.: Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying build-up
- 2 p.m.: DUTCH GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
- 4 p.m.: F1 Academy Race 1
- Sunday, August 31:
- 9:35 a.m.: F1 Academy Race 2
- 10:50 a.m.: Porsche Supercup Race
- 12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
- 2 p.m.: The DUTCH GRAND PRIX
- 4 p.m.: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP reaction
As Ferrari prepares for the weekend, the team will need to address its weaknesses quickly to challenge the likes of McLaren and Aston Martin, who have been performing strongly this season. With the Dutch GP set to be a critical race in the championship, Leclerc and Hamilton will be hoping for a turnaround in form to secure a strong result.
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