Leclerc pessimistic after 'probably our worst Friday of the season'

Leclerc: Ferrari given “wake-up call” in The Netherlands

On paper, Ferrari might have hoped for a stronger start to their Dutch GP weekend.

Zandvoort shares some characteristics with the Hungaroring, a track where – at least in qualifying – Leclerc was electric.

Of course, Leclerc’s dramatic fall on race day might suggest his Pole Position was more due to Ferrari pushing the limit with plank wear – as opposed to raw pace.

The first day of running in Zandvoort seemingly confirmed this, with both Ferrari drivers well off the pace.

Although there were plenty of interruptions in Friday Practice, Hamilton and Leclerc never found their feet.

Ferrari were a few steps away from McLaren and Aston Martin, whilst Red Bull and Mercedes were also slightly ahead.

Tsunoda’s new floor could make him a more consistent threat at the front, and thus further complicate things for Ferrari.

In the face of the team’s early difficulties, Leclerc remains hopeful there is lap-time to find.

The question is if there is enough potential in the car to meaningfully progress:

“I would sum it up as a very, very, very very difficult Friday.

“Probably the worst Friday of the season, which is right after the holidays, so it’s a little bit of a wake-up call.

“But it’s OK, I mean, we’ve had some difficult Fridays. 

“Not it’s up to us to turn the situation around, but for sure it’s not been an easy day.

“FP1 was extremely difficult, FP2 was slightly better but still far off where we want to be.

“I don’t expect to fully return the situation, because I think McLaren is in a league of its own with Aston Martin…

“We’ll try and improve the car, there is plenty to be done anyway.”

Still something to fight for in Zandvoort

Some good news for Ferrari is that, at least for now, the midfield looks less competitive than in previous events.

Zandvoort, though predominantly a lower speed circuit, demands a very complete package.

With some medium and high-speed corners present, in addition to notable curves presenting demands on the suspension, there is nowhere to hide.

This means that teams which excel in specific layouts will inevitably have their weaknesses exposed in The Netherlands.

With the exception of Aston Martin, who are still optimising their Hungary update, the midfield group was a few steps away from the front-runners.

Seeing this divide is unusual in 2025, and might give Ferrari something of a buffer in qualifying.

What seems clear, however, is that the Italian outfit are not where they want to be this weekend.

Their early struggles ultimately reflect the limitations of the SF-25, which has proven a great disappointment.

Optimising the car is obviously Ferrari’s objective, but as Leclerc himself has outlined, there are some underlying issues that are difficult to erase.

Potential rain could throw a spanner in the works, something the Scuderia might welcome given their lack of performance.