Ferrari preparing a ‘significantly’ cheaper update to fix Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s ‘secret’ F1 car issue

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Ferrari will be well aware that their chances of winning either championship during the 2025 Formula 1 season are all but over.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are 115 and 131 points behind the drivers’ championship leader, Oscar Piastri, at the halfway stage of the campaign.

Both drivers are still searching for their Grand Prix victory, with Hamilton’s Sprint Race win in China feeling a long time ago.

Hamilton couldn’t close the gap to Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber at the British Grand Prix, a sentence that fans would barely be able to believe 12 months ago.

Ferrari internally regret how many changes they made to their car over the winter, after coming so close to toppling McLaren at the top of the constructors’ championship.

They changed their push rod suspension to a pull rod system, and team principal Fred Vasseur admitted that 99% of the car was set to change over the winter break.

It’s left the Scuderia with a car that has a worryingly small operating window, and both Ferrari drivers struggling to follow their rivals in dirty air.

Ferrari are set to deliver a major rear suspension update at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix.

However, another update is also in the works that could fix an issue both drivers have been dealing with, even if they’ve not been allowed to talk about it.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari set to fix ‘secret’ power steering update before the F1 summer break

At the British Grand Prix, it was revealed that Ferrari had been dealing with a ‘secret’ power steering issue.

Leclerc alluded to it in one of his interviews before stopping himself from giving away too many details.

He said in an official media interview: “The issues we have are very specific. It’s not a balance issue, it’s not a grip issue.

“I don’t want to go into the detail, but it’s just something very weird that we’ve got to fight into the car.

“Especially when they are high speed, it makes it even more difficult. I hope we can resolve it. I cannot go into detail, I’m sorry.”

A report from the Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport has shared more details about the work being done behind the scenes at Maranello.

The report suggests that the fix to Ferrari’s power steering will be ‘significantly less expensive’ than the rear suspension update.

The rear suspension update is being tested at a private filming day at Mugello on Thursday, but the new power steering isn’t expected to be completed until the Hungarian Grand Prix.

It’s expected that the success of the rear suspension change will determine whether Ferrari can challenge for their first Grand Prix win of the year before the upcoming regulation changes in 2026.

However, if the power steering update works, it should give both drivers far more confidence through high-speed sections, perfect for their upcoming home race at Monza in September.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Lewis Hamilton testing for Ferrari unusual step to fix his team’s issues

Hamilton has never been a massive fan of private testing, and also spends a lot less time driving on simulators than the likes of Max Verstappen and many of the other drivers on the grid.

However, he knows that he only has potentially one or two more chances to win an eighth championship with Ferrari before his initial contract expires, and he has to decide whether to continue racing in Formula 1.

Ferrari saw Hamilton go to extreme lengths to help embed himself within the team after his switch from Mercedes.

Jolyon Palmer has questioned Hamilton’s race pace, but it’s clear that he’s not had a car capable of winning races yet.