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Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Scuderia Ferrari HP driver Charles Leclerc (16) of Team Monaco , third place and McLaren Renault Team driver Lando Norris (4) of Team Great Britain , second place in turn 19 at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

How Ferrari Turned Their Texan Weekend Around

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Stefania Zajdel | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 8:58 AM ET

For Ferrari, the 2025 season has been marked by struggles and terrible weekends. The first sessions in Austin promised no change from the disappointing status quo. Unexpectedly, the tides turned just in time for Sunday’s Grand Prix, providing the team with a much-needed podium finish.

The Sprint Struggle

Ferrari’s horrors began on Friday, during the sprint qualifying session. Their two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, qualified in P8 and P10, respectively. This was bad in its own right, but was only made worse by the difference between the times they managed to achieve and that of the sprint polesitter, Max Verstappen. 0.9 seconds separated the man in first from the man in 10th, a margin that is truly shocking in the world of Formula One.

The sprint itself was only slightly better for the two Ferrari garages. After a lap one crash that took both McLaren drivers, as well as Fernando Alonso, out of contention, Hamilton and Leclerc took advantage of the on-track chaos and moved up the order. They finished the short race in P4 and P5, respectively. While it might seem like a great result given their qualifying positions, it was largely helped by the three DNFs ahead

The Redemption

Everything changed during Saturday’s qualifying. Ferrari changed the setup of their cars, taking advantage of the fact that they could do so after the sprint, and managed to turn their luck around. Despite struggling the day before, both their drivers easily made it through to Q3 and secured very decent starting positions. Hamilton ended up fifth, sharing the third row with Oscar Piastri, while Leclerc managed to finish third.

The Grand Prix itself began about as well as it could for the two drivers dressed in red. Both Leclerc and Hamilton moved up a position during the opening lap, finding themselves in P2 and P4. The Brit managed to keep the position until the end of the race. His teammate, on the other hand, provided the fans with a tense battle that lasted throughout most of the Grand Prix.

Leclerc Vs Norris

To move to the second position, Leclerc had to overtake Lando Norris. The McLaren driver wasn’t a fan of the maneuver and was eager to reclaim the place he had started in. He searched for the perfect occasion to do so, but couldn’t manage to find a way past the Monegasque before a safety car appeared on track. He did find a way past him a few laps after it had ended, but didn’t get to celebrate the small victory for long.

Leclerc knew that his Ferrari wasn’t fast enough to take the McLaren head-on, so he had to use strategy if he wanted to reclaim the P2. Having started the race on soft tires, he pitted much earlier than his rival, who had opted to bolt on the mediums. He then drove a few great laps that put him ahead of the Brit by the time he exited the pits for the first and only time.

With the order reversed once more, the fight resumed. Leclerc was doing everything he could to defend against the McLaren, but in the end, he couldn’t match its pace. On lap 51 out of 56, Norris moved past the Monegasque for the last time, ending their race-long fight.

Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (16) of Team Monaco raises his trophy after he places in third place in the 2025 US Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

End Of My Ferrari Rant

Ferrari needed the podium to lift the team’s spirits after a few very mediocre weeks. There is one question that their performance in Austin brings to mind. Was it a one-off weekend, or will we see Leclerc and Hamilton fight for more podiums and wins as the season nears its end?

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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