Leclerc admits Ferrari’s chances of victory are fading into shadows

Ferrari’s fading 2025 campaign has taken on a grim inevitability, with Charles Leclerc conceding that the team may be powerless to prevent its first winless season in four years.

The Scuderia has endured a barren stretch since Carlos Sainz’s Mexico triumph in 2024, and despite five podiums secured this season by Leclerc – including a bittersweet P2 in Monaco, victory has remained elusive.

With seven races remaining, the Monegasque believes the calendar offers Ferrari almost no chance to overturn their fortunes.

A Season Without Triumph

Leclerc cut a somber figure as he assessed Ferrari’s prospects, conceding that even their stronger circuits now tilt in McLaren’s favor.

"Unfortunately the McLaren is also very strong when it’s warm,” he admitted. “Compared to our main competitors, we might be stronger.

“Against Mercedes, I think we have chances to be stronger in those races. However, compared to McLaren, I don’t think we’ll have the upper hand. But never say never.

“I’m looking forward to seeing where we are this weekend. Maybe another chance might be Vegas, where things are so strange on the track – tyre management et cetera can be a big thing in the race. Maybe there will be an opportunity as well, but very little opportunity.”

The acknowledgment that Las Vegas may be Ferrari’s only lifeline underlines just how far the team has slipped since fighting McLaren for the constructors’ crown last year.

The Monegasque did not hide his disappointment.

“We are all disappointed as a team,” he added. Especially with Ferrari you are always targeting to be back on top and not to fight for second, third, or fourth place in the constructors’. That’s not what we want.

“We are not happy, and we’ve got to do better. That’s very clear for every member of the team.”

McLaren’s Step Leaves Ferrari Behind

Leclerc pointed to McLaren’s leap forward as the decisive factor behind Ferrari’s struggles, painting a picture of a rival team that has unlocked something others have yet to match.

“If I knew exactly the area where we are lacking, it would be easy work. It’s not as easy as that,” he admitted.

“But what I can say is that Mercedes, Red Bull, and ourselves kind of did the same step from last year to this year, but there’s one team that found something special, and that is McLaren.

“Now it’s up to us to understand what they’ve done which is so special in order to close that gap.

“I think Red Bull probably found part of the solution – we could see that in the last few races. Mercedes and ourselves didn’t yet, and we are working towards that.

“We know the areas; how we achieve that is another story, and there’s a lot of work to understand and find the solutions. McLaren did a step that nobody else did.”

• Read also: Hamilton ‘overwhelmed’ by outpour of support after Roscoe’s passing

With Ferrari facing the prospect of a season without victory, Leclerc’s words strike a foreboding note.

Unless Las Vegas delivers a rare twist of fortune, the Prancing Horse could be destined to cross the finish line of 2025 in silence, its once-mighty roar muted by rivals who have surged ahead.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook