Formula 1 returns to the racetrack after a break spanning two full race weekends. Ferrari heads into the Belgian Grand Prix at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit with several technical updates applied to its SF-25 single-seater. Among the most important innovations is the revised rear suspension layout, a component that was initially tested during a private session held at the Mugello circuit in Italy just over a week ago. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have deliberately chosen not to provide in-depth comments on the changes, at least judging by what they have publicly stated up until now. In addition to the new suspension, the Italian team has introduced a modified version of the rear wing, specifically a lower-downforce specification aimed at improving top speed on Spa’s long straights.
Key Tests for Suspension and Rear Wing During FP1
The SF-25 has not been an easy car to manage since the beginning of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, and for this reason, the engineers at Maranello have been working continuously on a technical solution that could help improve overall performance. These new parts are being introduced alongside recent floor developments, which have started to yield more consistent results in recent races, as well as additional aerodynamic and mechanical elements designed to offer a long-awaited performance step forward for both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Now let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for Charles and Lewis in FP1: both Ferrari drivers took to the track immediately at the start of the first free practice session, each car fitted with the hardest compound tyres available for the weekend. The initial aim was to evaluate how consistent the grip levels provided by these harder Pirelli tyres were and to assess how effective the initial setup configuration was. The opening laps were not particularly representative, largely due to the fact that the asphalt was still quite cold and somewhat dusty. Nevertheless, the SF-25 exhibited visible instability, particularly with signs of oversteer when exiting corners—an issue that has been a recurring problem throughout the season.
Overall grip levels remained relatively low during the early phase of the session, also due to the tyre compounds not yet reaching their ideal operating temperature. As the session progressed and the tyres warmed up, the drivers began to feel more confident with the car’s handling, and the situation on track started to improve. Ferrari activated the more aggressive “Engine 1” power unit mode, which delivers increased power output from the internal combustion engine. At Turn 1—La Source hairpin—the car’s balance looked acceptable, though the turn-in phase of cornering still appeared to require some fine-tuning.
During this part of the session, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were running with high fuel loads. The focus was clearly not on setting fast lap times but rather on understanding the overall balance of the SF-25 in race-trim configuration. The car displayed a certain sensitivity when riding over kerbs, while in rapid changes of direction, the rear end struggled to follow the front axle smoothly and responsively. Lewis Hamilton appeared to be facing more difficulties compared to Charles Leclerc, who already seemed to be managing the handling of the car with a reasonable level of control and confidence.
Roughly halfway through the session, Charles Leclerc clocked the fastest lap time using the hardest tyre compound available. Despite this promising performance, the third sector of the circuit still needed refinement. His approach to the final chicane was not particularly clean, nor were the corners that lead into that final section. However, Leclerc’s performance through the middle sector of the track was quite strong and encouraging. From what could be observed from the onboards and telemetry data, Scuderia Ferrari appeared to be leaning towards a setup that prioritizes low aerodynamic drag to boost straight-line speed.
Shortly afterward, Lewis Hamilton began improving his driving rhythm and overall feel with the SF-25. The seven-time world champion optimized the car’s balance and managed to move up to fourth place on the timing screens. He performed particularly well in the first sector, with a convincing showing in the middle part of the lap. However, the final sector remained problematic, as he was unable to fully exploit the car’s potential. Turn 1, La Source, remained one of the most demanding and critical points on the track for Ferrari, requiring utmost precision on corner exit in order to avoid rear-end instability and traction loss.
In the second stint of the session, both Ferrari drivers continued to use the same set of hard compound tyres from the first run. While the cars were running, engineers in the pit lane took a quick glance at the telemetry data and decided to make several adjustments to the setup. These setup changes appeared to place the SF-25 in an intermediate aerodynamic configuration—striking a balance somewhere between the higher-downforce setup used by McLaren and the more streamlined configuration employed by Red Bull Racing with Max Verstappen’s car.
At this stage, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton began a short race simulation run. With significantly more fuel onboard, both Ferrari cars exhibited a fairly balanced performance. The team ran a short sequence of flying laps—between four and five consecutive laps—aimed at collecting valuable data on tyre degradation rates and the overall behaviour of the car in race trim. Lewis Hamilton, however, continued to show signs of struggling slightly more than his teammate, needing to put in considerable physical effort at the steering wheel to keep the car under control.
A mild tendency towards understeer persisted throughout the middle sector of the circuit. This was particularly noticeable at Turn 12, where both SF-25 cars had difficulty consistently hitting the apex with precision. The primary issues appeared to arise during the corner entry phase. However, a detailed analysis of the car’s telemetry will be required to confirm these impressions. That said, there was an observable improvement in how the SF-25 handled rapid changes of direction, with a general increase in stability compared to the earlier part of the session.
McLaren Raises the Bar in Final Runs
The final push laps of the session were carried out on soft compound tyres. The objective was to complete a flying lap that would fully exploit the additional grip levels provided by the red-walled Pirelli tyres. Achieving this required bringing the tyres into their optimal temperature window during the warm-up lap without over-stressing them. Charles Leclerc’s timed attempt was not particularly successful. When compared to rival teams, Ferrari continued to struggle with optimally activating the tyre compound during qualifying simulations.
A mistake by Charles Leclerc in Turn 7 compromised his exit from Turn 8 as well, resulting in further time loss. Lewis Hamilton delivered a tidier lap overall, but he was unable to find a rhythm that would allow him to challenge the lap times set by the leading contenders. The Monegasque driver was visibly dissatisfied with his lap and radioed his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, to request data on cornering speeds. Charles observed that he was slower in specific sections of the track. Bryan Bozzi confirmed this trend but also pointed out that the SF-25 was recovering time in the high-speed portions of the circuit. After a cooldown lap, both drivers resumed pushing for further improvements.
However, the most significant time difference came from McLaren—especially from the performance of young Australian driver Oscar Piastri. He was able to gain approximately one second over the rest of the field in the middle sector alone, thanks to a setup that featured more aerodynamic downforce compared to rival teams. While this extra drag may compromise straight-line speed, it proved to be highly effective in the technical sections of the track. In contrast, the other front-running teams appeared to be more competitive in the faster parts of the circuit.
Should rain arrive—an ever-present threat at Spa-Francorchamps—and if the teams retain their current setup configurations, McLaren’s advantage could become enormous. The weather forecast remains unpredictable, with heavy clouds gathering above the circuit. The Sprint Qualifying session is scheduled for this afternoon, and given current track conditions and setup directions, McLaren could emerge as the team to beat if wet conditions prevail.
— see video above —
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