Charles Leclerc admits he's at a loss over when Ferrari might challenge McLaren for consistent grand prix victories.
The storied Italian team entered 2025 with high expectations, fueled by Lewis Hamilton's arrival and bold title ambitions.
Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, speaking in Bahrain last weekend, expressed his disappointment: "How do I feel as a fan? Sad."
He added: "And I'm also angry because I had hoped that this year we would see a truly competitive car from the start."
Montezemolo has long pinpointed issues at Ferrari's core. "This team is sometimes lacking a leader, and I miss the passion at Ferrari for which it was once famous," he said. "I see a team without a soul," he continued.
Hamilton, 40, was visibly and verbally downbeat after Bahrain qualifying, where his gap to Leclerc echoed his recent Mercedes struggles with one-lap pace.
He found solace post-race, finishing P5 behind Leclerc. "I went back to the hotel, sorted things out and talked things over with myself," Hamilton said.
"It's a very different car, but my qualifying this year is even worse than last year," he admitted. "I'll keep trying. I'll get there," he vowed.
"At least I understand how this car wants to be driven now," he explained. "I've driven a certain style for so long, and now I'm sitting in a car that needs to be driven completely differently," he noted.
"I'm also running Brembo brakes where I previously had Carbone Industrie. It's a completely different approach," he added. "But I was so far from Charles in terms of setup and now I'm slowly getting closer to him," he concluded.
Montezemolo sees Ferrari as Hamilton's final shot at glory. "He came to Ferrari to win in red and end his career with a crowning title, but we see that adapting to a new way of working isn't easy," he said.
"His biggest problem right now is that he doesn't have a car with which he can become world champion," he added.
Leclerc, more at ease in the 2025 Ferrari, identified its core issue. "It simply needs more downforce overall," he said.
"I think we're getting the most out of the car in terms of balance at the moment—there's no room for more," he explained. "I need more grip to corner faster," he stated.
"In qualifying, I feel like we can mask some disadvantages, but in the race, that's not possible," he noted. "If you don't have enough grip, you slide more and the tyres degrade more. It's a snowball effect," he elaborated.
Ferrari rushed a new floor into use in Bahrain, but when pressed on when further progress might show, Leclerc was candid: "I don't know."
"It's all taking a little longer than I'd like," he admitted. "I'm sure we'll find our way back to the front, but when that will happen? I have no idea," he confessed.
Team boss Frederic Vasseur empathised with Hamilton's challenges. "You can't replace twelve years of collaboration in two weeks or two races," the Frenchman said.
"It's crucial that Lewis also brings the right attitude, which he does," he noted. "He says 'I have to improve and adapt to the car'," Vasseur added.
"We will tune the car to suit Lewis, but he also has to take a step," he concluded.
