Ferrari used another new excuse to explain Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s struggles in Singapore

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Ferrari just went through their fifth consecutive Formula 1 weekend without achieving a podium at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Since the summer break, they have looked lost compared to their competitors. Finishing second in the constructors’ championship now feels very unlikely, and there’s cause for concern heading into the 2026 F1 regulations for both of their drivers.

There wasn’t much more Charles Leclerc could have done to maximise his sixth place at the Singapore Grand Prix, meanwhile, teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered a late brake failure. He hung on to seventh place, but a post-race penalty for effectively ignoring the track layout saw him demoted to eighth.

Ferrari put Hamilton in a ‘really difficult situation’, according to Leclerc, who thinks that the team’s strategy forced him to use his brakes more, putting additional wear on them. F1 fans called Hamilton’s penalty ‘crazy’, but it was quite clear that he had gained some advantage with his creative interpretation of track limits.

READ MORE: Jenson Button says Lewis Hamilton could ‘walk away’ from F1 in 2026 if he makes one realisation

Ferrari ‘blamed’ poor qualifying execution for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s Singapore struggles

Fernando Alonso was furious at Hamilton as he held on to seventh place by a mere four-tenths as they crossed the line. He could see that the Briton had been taking liberties to remain in the race during the final few laps, where he lost nearly 60 seconds.

However, the Scuderia came into the season expecting to be championship contenders, having missed out on a title by just 14 points in 2024. Now, they’re hanging on for a seventh-place finish in front of an Aston Martin team who have improved more than they have managed to.

Jenson Button thinks Ferrari are ‘afraid’ of making mistakes, and that their culture could do with some improvement over the winter. Turning themselves into contenders for next season feels like a lot of work, and it could decide whether they have an all-new driver line-up for 2027.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that team boss Fred Vasseur ‘blamed’ their bad performance at the Marina Bay circuit on their poor execution on Saturday. Qualifying didn’t help them, but a general lack of pace with the SF25 feels like the more important point to focus on.

With six races in the Formula 1 campaign left, the team will be relieved to turn a new page in a few months. Having failed to win a race this season, they still have reason to fight, but McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes all feel much stronger at this stage.

READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli reveals the advice ‘really cool’ Lewis Hamilton has been giving him just before F1 races

Why Ferrari will be optimistic heading into the next F1 race

There is now a small break before Formula 1 returns for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the site of Ferrari’s last one-two finish.

Since then, the trend the team has taken has been fairly negative, but the track clearly seems to suit their car better than others have.

Any positive momentum they can build before the 2026 season is good right now. Hamilton’s mood is ‘completely different’ since joining them, and he’s not as upbeat as he was six months ago.

Various disappointments will have taken their toll on everyone around them, and perhaps this is the best chance left for them to make a real statement in 2025.