Ferrari disappointed again at home and could barely fight for third place on the track

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix was another emotional rollercoaster for the tifosi. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari idol and local hero, finished fourth, which was not enough at Monza. There were no strategic errors or driving mistakes: he simply did not have the speed to compete with Red Bull and McLaren.
The Monegasque admitted it bluntly after the race: “We didn't have the pace to fight with the front runners. We did our best, but a podium was impossible.”

A promising start that quickly faded

Leclerc got off to a strong start, even moving up to third place in the early stages. But the illusion was short-lived. With an extremely low downforce setup, the Ferrari immediately began to suffer from overheating rear tires.

That weakness was exploited by Oscar Piastri, who did not hesitate to overtake him on the outside at Lesmo with a maneuver that was as clean as it was decisive. From then on, Leclerc went into containment mode, resisting the onslaught of the Mercedes cars rather than attacking the leading group.

Ferrari, caught between giants

The story at Monza was clear: while Verstappen and McLaren were playing in another league, Ferrari was fighting its own battle with Mercedes for third place. Leclerc summed it up with frustration: “We were a little faster than them, but not enough. We expected more degradation in other cars, but in the end it wasn't enough.”

Although the Monegasque managed to stay at the top in terms of pure pace, he was never really close to fighting Piastri for the last step on the podium. The 3.5-second difference at the finish line was the most painful evidence: Ferrari raced against the tide at its own home.

A future full of unknowns

Leclerc hinted that the outlook will not change in the short term. With Baku on the horizon, the driver was cautious: “In qualifying we can get closer, but in the race the real differences come to light. Today I didn't feel confident and I think it will be the same there.”

The message is clear: Ferrari is still far behind Red Bull and McLaren, and the tifosi will have to settle, for now, with the hope of seeing their team hold on in the fight for third place.

Monza, the Temple of Speed, once again showed the harsh reality: Ferrari is not in contention for podiums, and Leclerc knows this better than anyone.