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Charles Leclerc described the start of Ferrari at the Dutch Grand Prix as a “alarm clock” after he and Lewis Hamilton had trouble in Zandvoort.
Leclerc and Hamilton were both outside the top 13 of the first practice and only improved in the eighth and sixth respectively during the second session, almost a second of Lando Norris.
During the last race before the summer holidays, Leclerc took the pole position in Hungary and was in the fight for the victory, but Ferrari was well out of the pace in Zandvoort.
“It was a very, very, very difficult Friday. Probably the worst Friday of the season,” said Leclerc, who was on the podium five times this year.
“Just after the holidays and it’s a bit of awakening. We had difficult Fridays and now it’s up to us to reverse the situation.
“Of course, not an easy day. FP1 was extremely difficult. FP2 was slightly better but always far where we want to be.
“I do not expect to completely turn the situation because McLaren is in a league apart with Aston Martin, which is a surprise for us. We will try to improve the car because there is a lot to do.”
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Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties in Ferrari continued during Friday’s training sessions when he suffered from two massive towers
Leclerc and Hamilton were competitive in the first sector, but both have always lost time in the middle sector, which includes long radius corners – a weakness of the Ferrari 2025 car.
“We waste mainly 90% of the time in two corners. There is something that our car cannot do for the moment and we try to find out why it is so focused on two corners. We will try to find a solution,” said Leclerc.
“It’s a very strange season. I would never have said that I would be on the post in Budapest, I don’t want to have a target because after a difficult weekend, it’s not an exciting target, but I can’t wait to try to turn the situation (around) and do a miracle, but it will not be an easy weekend for us.”
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Jacques Villeneuve and Naomi Schiff discuss if Hamilton can reverse his fortune in Ferrari this season after having had trouble adapting to his new team
Hamilton: not the worst day
Hamilton turned twice on Friday – the first arriving at the Bank turn in the first training, and the second to come when he touched the grass at the exit of turn 9 on the second try.
The seven times world champion, who entered the weekend by declaring that he wanted to “enjoy” the last 10 races of 2025, put the laps to push too hard and was more optimistic than Leclerc.
“It’s not the worst day. We were making progress. We were far enough in FP1, much more than normal,” he said.
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Hamilton thinks that Ferrari must improve if they want to challenge the precautions of the Dutch Grand Prix
“The first round was quite decent, then it was a bit of a challenge. We made progress during lunch but always quite a song.
“We have work to do with configuration. In terms of rhythm, I do not know how we will find eight tenths but we will do our best.”
Dutch GP schedule for Sky Sports F1
Saturday August 30
9:20 am: F1 Academy Qualify
10:05 am: Practice of the Dutch Grand Prix three (the session starts at 10:30 am) *
1 p.m.: Accumulation of qualification of the Dutch Grand Prix
2 p.m.: Qualification of the Dutch Grand Prix
4 p.m.: F1 Academy Race 1
Sunday August 31
9:35 am: F1 Academy Race 2
10:50 am: Porsche Supercup Race
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP Build-Up
2 p.m.: The Dutch Grand Prix
4 p.m.: Checkered flag: Dutch GP reaction
* Also on the main event of Sky Sports
Formula 1 returns after the summer holidays with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort this weekend, live Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract, cancel at any time
