Source: REUTERS/Bruna Casas
[Saba Sports News] Practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix saw internal competition flare up within Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton screamed over the team radio, “This car is completely undriveable!” expressing his frustration with the out-of-control state of the SF-25. Team Principal Fred Vasseur responded, “His final stint on the soft tires was twice as fast as the first two. This act is exaggerated!” Friday’s practice session data was polarized: Hamilton ranked third in FP1, just 0.378 seconds behind the leader; however, in FP2, he dropped to 11th, lagging Oscar Piastri of McLaren by 0.773 seconds and even 0.3 seconds behind teammate Charles Leclerc. As the SF-25 struggled to maintain control through high-speed corners at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Hamilton shouted at engineer Riccardo Adami, “It’s terrifying!” Former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg commented live that Ferrari is currently the most struggling car—it suffers both understeer and oversteer. Technical analysis points to the root cause: International Automobile Federation’s strict enforcement of the front wing deformation rule forced Ferrari to adopt high-stiffness components, resulting in reduced downforce on long corners for the SF-25. Hamilton’s preferred smooth driving lines were no longer effective, while Leclerc could adapt to the aggressive driving style. Complicating matters further is the collapse of tire management—Hamilton’s soft tires experienced a 47% drop in grip on the second lap, which was 15 percentage points higher than McLaren.