Ferrari’s Pursuit for Performance Improvements
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are banking on upcoming enhancements in Ferrari‘s pipeline, as they believe their SF-25 car is currently underperforming compared to Mercedes and Red Bull. The Scuderia drivers have expressed concerns about the car’s performance, particularly its lack of overall aerodynamic load.
Ferrari’s Car Concept Change and Driver Feedback
Over the off-season, Ferrari made a significant change to its car concept by switching from a push-rod operated front suspension layout to a pull-rod design. Technical director Loic Serra stated that the team had taken the prior format to its maximum. However, the drivers have felt that the car is still lacking in overall aerodynamic load.
The planned upgrades for the season are expected to help improve the SF-25’s performance as Ferrari aims to narrow the gap with Mercedes. Despite qualifying fourth for the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton praised Leclerc for “outperforming the car,” revealing that the two drivers had diverged in their setups for the first time this season.
Leclerc’s Progress and Performance Gains
Leclerc felt he made progress with his setup changes over the Japan weekend, which helped him feel more comfortable in the car. However, he admitted that the performance gains were only small, stating, “I think we are even a bit behind Mercedes in terms of actual pace.
Leclerc expressed hope that the SF-25 would surprise them positively as he found answers to his needs, but the performance gains unlocked were not significant. He also mentioned that he could be at 100% of the car more often, which would give him the confidence needed for the rest of the season.
Hamilton’s Analysis and Suggestions
Hamilton praised Leclerc’s lap in qualifying, stating that he outperformed the car. He also acknowledged that he didn’t get everything needed from his car but admitted that they need to upgrade for sure.
It has been suggested that Ferrari needs to be more conservative with ride heights at Suzuka, partly due to Hamilton’s plank wear-enforced disqualification in China. However, Leclerc refuted the suggestions that the car was particularly ride-height sensitive, instead offering a simple explanation that the car was simply lacking aerodynamic load.
GPS Analysis and Performance Comparison
GPS analysis of Leclerc’s fastest qualifying lap versus Verstappen’s ultimate pole time suggests that the Ferrari tends to struggle with stabilizing the rear end out of corners, leading to a loss of exit traction. Compared to the laps set by the McLarens, the SF-25 lost time on the exit of Spoon.
Leclerc’s largest areas of time loss to Verstappen came at the exits from the hairpin and Casio Triangle corners, having been briefly up on time earlier in the lap through the Esses.
Ferrari’s Future Plans
Ferrari will likely look to the races beyond this current triple header to add downforce to the car, with the intention of making similar progress to what it achieved through the final stages of 2024.
