After four Formula 1 frustrating for the Scuderia, Charles Leclerc finally scored his first podium finish of the season, with third place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. A relief for the tifosi, but a respite that seems almost belated in the face of McLaren's impressive momentum.
A hard-fought race, a more competitive Ferrari
On the Jeddah circuit, which was marked by a series of twists and turns right from qualifying with Norris's accident, Ferrari took advantage of a race physiognomy unseen this season. While Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri battled it out for victory, Leclerc took advantage of a good race pace and a shifted strategy to overtake George Russell and secure his precious third place. A first appearance on the podium in 2025 for the Monegasque, coming at just the right time to prevent the season from turning into a nightmare.
Ferrari: 78 points, McLaren 188
But is it enough to keep the title alive? In the constructors' standings, Ferrari is still a long way behind McLaren, with 78 points to the Woking team's 188. A gap of 110 points after just 5 of the 24 races this season. Mathematically, nothing is decided yet. Theoretically, it's even still possible for Ferrari to win the championship... provided they put in a string of perfect performances.
The optimistic scenario: 1st and 2nd place in every race
Let's take an extremely optimistic hypothesis: Ferrari finishes 1st and 2nd in the 19 remaining races. Without taking into account the points from the Sprint races, this would represent 43 points per Grand Prix, or 817 additional points. If McLaren, meanwhile, were to settle for 3rd and 4th place (i.e. 27 points per race, totalling 513 points), the final ranking would be :
- Ferrari: 78 + 817 = 895 points
- McLaren: 188 + 513 = 701 points
In this scenario, Ferrari would be world champion in 2025. But this scenario is almost utopian...
A worrying dynamic
The current reality is very different. McLaren has already scored four victories, including three with Piastri, while Ferrari has just one podium finish in five races, and is still lagging behind in terms of sheer pace. Hamilton struggled to keep pace with Leclerc, and qualifying still left much to be desired.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix may have brought home a few points and restored some momentum, but it was not enough. Unless there's a complete turnaround, the championship already seems out of reach. A podium finish from time to time won't be enough to overcome such a massive deficit against a team as consistent as McLaren.
It will take a miracle
Leclerc's podium finish in Jeddah is good news, but it's more a symbolic reward than a real signal of recovery. Ferrari will have to score a series of doubles to climb back up the rankings... and hope for some counter-performances from McLaren. As things stand, the 2025 title is a long way off. So the question is simple: can Ferrari afford to react now, or is it too late? will we have to look ahead to 2026 ?
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