Scuderia Ferrari arrived at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg with the most extensive upgrade package on the grid, aiming to close the gap to McLaren and Red Bull. However, their ambitious updates—including a heavily revised floor and rear diffuser—failed to provide immediate gains, with Charles Leclerc enduring a turbulent time during Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring.
Both Charles Leclerc and Maranello teammate Lewis Hamilton received Ferrari’s latest specification floor, which included substantial alterations to the floor edge, fence configuration, and central bodywork. These changes were paired with a reworked rear diffuser, introduced in hopes of increasing the SF-25’s ground effect and permitting a lower ride height. While McLaren and Red Bull also brought updates—such as modified suspension components and a refined floor edge, respectively—Ferrari’s overhaul was by far the most radical.
Despite these aggressive changes, the Maranello-based team have yet to implement a crucial rear suspension upgrade still in development. That component is expected to significantly improve the SF-25’s balance and overall predictability, but for now, the Scuderia must work with an incomplete evolution of their 2025 car.
Charles Leclerc’s struggles in FP2 raise concerns about Ferrari’s progress
Leclerc’s first laps of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend came in the second free practice session after Ferrari gave FP1 duties to reserve driver Dino Beganovic as part of the rookie test mandate. Unfortunately for Charles Leclerc, his return to the cockpit did not go smoothly. The 27-year-old ran wide at Turn 3—a low-speed hairpin—and later had an off-track excursion at Turn 6, a medium-to-high-speed corner.
Former Formula 1 driver and current analyst Anthony Davidson raised concerns over the SF-25’s behavior, noting that Leclerc appeared to lack rear-end stability across a range of speeds. The British former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One between 2002 and 2008, observed that the rear of the car was stepping out under both slow- and high-speed cornering, suggesting that Ferrari now face a serious challenge in finding a balanced setup for the Red Bull Ring. He implied that the issue might be rooted in the new floor and diffuser not functioning optimally without the complementary suspension updates.
Ferrari’s off-track woes continue in FP1 with Dino Beganovic’s limited running
Ferrari’s Friday didn’t get off to a promising start either. During FP1, Dino Beganovic took over Charles Leclerc’s car but was hampered by reliability problems, which prevented him from extracting meaningful performance. He eventually finished the session in P18, far behind the leading times.
By contrast, McLaren’s rookie Alex Dunne impressed during the same session, ending FP1 in fourth place and finishing just 0.069s behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. Dunne’s strong performance underscored the competitive form McLaren have found in 2025 and highlighted the relative inefficiency of Ferrari’s current package.
Charles Leclerc’s eventual P5 finish in FP2 was over six-tenths slower than pace-setter Lando Norris—who also sat out FP1 for Alex Dunne—offering further evidence that Ferrari’s ambitious upgrade strategy has yet to yield the expected results. While Charles Leclerc managed to avoid further errors after his early incidents, the overall pace and handling of the car remain a concern heading into qualifying and the race weekend.
With key updates still pending and the car’s balance clearly unsettled, Ferrari face a race against time to optimize their package—not just for Austria, but for the remainder of a season in which their title hopes are fading rapidly.
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