Scuderia Ferrari has officially approved the introduction of its new rear suspension system for the SF-25, with the technical upgrade scheduled to debut at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Despite this green light from the Maranello-based team, reports have surfaced indicating that Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc remains somewhat unconvinced about the effectiveness of the new configuration.
According to a detailed report published by Motorsport.it, which closely followed Ferrari’s recent private testing session at the Mugello circuit in Tuscany, there are indeed tangible technical gains associated with the new suspension layout. However, the same report also mentions the presence of lingering doubts, particularly voiced by Charles Leclerc, regarding the actual performance benefits felt behind the wheel.
This upgrade has been anticipated for quite some time. As early as the Australian Grand Prix, where the SF-25 began to show significant performance limitations, it became increasingly clear that one of the main weaknesses of the 2025 Ferrari challenger lay in its suspension system. Throughout the opening phase of the Formula 1 season, the car has repeatedly needed to be raised to increase ground clearance and stiffen the suspension setup — a compromise that often negatively impacts aerodynamic efficiency and overall race performance.
This workaround has forced both Charles Leclerc and his teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, to operate within a very narrow and often sub-optimal window when it comes to race setup, which has compromised Ferrari’s consistency across varying track conditions.
Now, Ferrari hopes that the introduction of the newly designed rear suspension will unlock performance potential glimpsed in moments such as the Sprint Race in Shanghai and sporadically demonstrated throughout the 2025 campaign. The revised suspension concept has already undergone evaluation during the Mugello filming day, where both Ferrari drivers conducted extensive runs.
While exact performance metrics remain confidential and are held exclusively by Ferrari’s technical department, visual observations of the cars on track suggested a step forward in drivability and chassis balance. However, it is still too early to determine whether this will be enough to close the performance gap to McLaren, currently one of Ferrari’s main rivals in the constructors’ standings. The upcoming back-to-back races in Belgium and Hungary are expected to provide a clearer picture of the true effectiveness of the upgrade.
Further insights from Motorsport.it — in an article penned by seasoned Formula 1 journalist Franco Nugnes — reveal that Charles Leclerc reportedly did not detect substantial differences in handling or performance during his initial runs with the revised setup. It is important to note, however, that the optimal configuration for the new suspension is still under development, and the challenging layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit may allow the upgrade’s full potential to emerge more clearly than it did at Mugello.
In any case, Ferrari’s engineers anticipate an improvement of around one-tenth of a second per lap thanks to the new component. Yet, even more significant than the raw lap time gain is the expected expansion of the car’s operating window — a broader and more adaptable setup range that could offer Ferrari greater consistency across a variety of track types and conditions.
The Belgian Grand Prix is shaping up to be a crucial moment in Ferrari’s 2025 season. With both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in pursuit of stronger results, all eyes will be on the new rear suspension to see whether it delivers the performance leap the team has been striving for since the early rounds of the championship.
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