The 2025 Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles‑Villeneuve turned into a microcosm of Ferrari’s season woes—not for lack of pace, but due to a cascade of errors that undid their potential. Qualifying mishaps, strategic blunders, and unexpected race damage all combined to leave both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton frustrated, with Ferrari tumbling out of contention—tools designed for victory, but marred by execution. Team principal Fred Vasseur didn’t mince words afterward:
“We made too many mistakes collectively from the beginning… with the crash in FP1, with the mistake in Quali, with the marmot in the race… If we put everything together we can do it”
Qualifying: Precision Fallout
Ferrari’s qualifying campaign offered more pain. A poorly timed tyre strategy and execution missteps relegated both drivers to row three—doomed by small margins on a circuit where overtaking is challenging. Vasseur lamented the qualifying chaos as one of multiple self-inflicted wounds.
Race Day: Leclerc’s Frustration
Charles Leclerc finished P5—keeping points alive, but far from what was possible. His frustrations came through on‑team radio: furious about a late switch to hard tyres he felt unnecessary, he asked “Why did I have to box?” and insisted his mediums were fine .
While helmeted frustration is part of racing, many noticed the tension between the Monegasque and his engineers, a public mismatch of trust and communication.
“The Marmot” Incident & Hamilton’s Floor Wreck
The peculiar final straw came when Hamilton hit what Vasseur humorously called a “marmot”: a groundhog, visibly damaging his car’s floor—shaving off 20 points of downforce, Hamilton later admitted . The result? A drop to P6—“devastating,” Hamilton called the moment, noting it cost him roughly half a second per lap.
Hamilton’s Defence of Vasseur
Surrounded by rumors—about Hamilton’s disappointment, Leclerc’s potential departure in 2026, and pressure on Vasseur—Hamilton jumped into the fray. After briefly liking a post criticizing Ferrari strategy, he reversed it and firmly rallied for his team boss:
“I love working with Fred. Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team… we’re in this together… it’s nonsense what people write”.
The 40‑year‑old affirmed a long-term view with Ferrari and Vasseur: no exit plan, no retirement imminent—just a belief they can right the ship.
Constructors Shakeup & Road Ahead
Ferrari’s P5/P6 double meant they dropped to third in the constructors’ standings, overtaken by Mercedes, who pocketed a double podium in Canada.
Key takeaways Ferrari must address:
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Preparation: Avoid FP1 crashes; secure FP2 data.
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Execution: Sharpen qualifying timing and tyre strategy.
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Race reliability: Mitigate damage—be it wildlife or strategy swings.
Vasseur stressed the razor-thin margins in today’s F1: one small slip can shift everything. Ferrari’s next chance comes in Austria. A clean weekend there could reinvigorate their challenge.
Promise Amidst the Fallout
The Canadian GP illustrated Ferrari’s season in a snapshot: competitive machinery hamstrung by self-inflicted errors. But behind the chaos, there’s genuine pace and potential—“If we put everything together,” Vasseur emphasized, “we can do it.” With dedicated drivers in Leclerc and Hamilton, a team boss still supported by both, and upgrades en route, this setback could be the catalyst Ferrari needs—though only if lessons are learned.
For now, Montreal was a lesson they’d rather forget. But for Ferrari, turning pain into progress is the only path back to glory.
