Lewis Hamilton is urging fans to temper expectations around the Ferrari upgrades at the Austrian and British Grand Prix, putting the focus on incremental progress rather than instant transformation.
Ferrari is set to run a revised floor at the Red Bull Ring and then introduce changes to the rear suspension at Silverstone, as the Italian team looks to close the gap to its rivals. The hope is that these updates will help address the inconsistencies that have hindered the SF-25 so far in 2025.
Speaking to the media, including Total-Motorsport.com, ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed gratitude for the team’s hard work but warned that the real impact of the upgrades remains to be seen.
“I mean firstly, happy that we have an upgrade,” Hamilton indicated. “It’s always exciting to get new pieces to the car so I’m really grateful for everyone working really hard to bring those.”
“We really don’t know the actual effect that it’s gonna have, it’s not the normal information we’re getting of how much load you added to the car, that’s not necessarily clear.”
Despite the excitement of fresh parts, Hamilton is clear that big changes from the Ferrari upgrades are unlikely. “Hopefully it will be a step in the right direction but I don’t think we’re expecting it to change a huge amount, but fingers crossed it’s better than we hope.”
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Vasseur keeps focus on team execution
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur echoed that message, pointing out that execution and setup are now just as important as new hardware. Speaking with Sky Sports F1, Vasseur said: “We will have an upgrade soon, before UK, and perhaps another one a bit later. But, honestly, I think there is much more in execution and what you get from the car, than the potential of the car itself.”
Vasseur explained that with current regulations, gains are measured in hundredths, not tenths, and small mistakes can erase any progress.
“Now we are at the end of the regulations, when we bring something to the track, we are speaking hundredths rather than tenths and if you don’t use the car well, you lose tenths,” Vasseur said.
“That’s happened a couple of times on our side at least, and we are not the only one. When we brought upgrades in the past, we needed one or two races to adapt the car to the set-up of the new version. I want to put the focus on the team much more on the execution than on the pure potential of the car. But we will bring something.”
Both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc will debut the upgraded car in Austria, with the first free practice session offering an initial chance to gauge improvements. While expectations remain realistic, both drivers and engineers hope the new components can bring stability and pace as Ferrari looks for a breakthrough.
Ferrari faces an important challenge, not just in developing its car but also in maximising every opportunity with precise execution. If the upgrades deliver as hoped, it could mark the start of a renewed push for podiums and points, even if progress comes one step at a time.
