At the fourth round of the 2025 championship, Ferrari presents itself as the fourth or fifth strongest team. A result that certainly doesn’t reflect what was seen in Japan, where the two Mercedes were sandwiched between the two SF-25s. Suzuka was a weekend that didn’t provide a clear picture, especially regarding tyre management. Ferrari comes to Bahrain looking to patch up the SF-25 with a new floor, which nonetheless risks failing to address the issues.
The SF-25 was highly talked about before the 2025 Formula 1 season, amidst rumors and hyped-up reports that eventually turned into major disappointment. From testing in Bahrain, it became clear the car was still an unknown, with untapped potential, but Australia opened everyone’s eyes.
After an encouraging Friday—between FP1 and FP2 with a front-end-focused SF-25 effective in both qualifying and race pace—Saturday was a disaster. FP3 revealed a stiffer, higher, more unpredictable, and inevitably slower version of the 677. A change that compromised the SF-25’s operating window. All aspects we discussed in detail in an initial technical analysis of the car’s issues, most of which are linked to the rear suspension.
Ferrari risks not solving anything in Bahrain
It’s now confirmed that Ferrari will bring a new series of updates to Bahrain, including a new floor and other aerodynamic elements for the SF-25. A new floor that represents a significant change in how airflow is managed beneath the car. A floor that should increase downforce, but that might not actually do so.
In fact, according to information obtained by the Italian website F1inGenerale, the new floor might not help Ferrari, despite having a broader operating window. It has also been confirmed that the new spec is an upgrade and not a corrective measure, as some had speculated. These are therefore updates that have been planned for some time, intended to improve the SF-25.
What does not inspire confidence is what was reported when asked whether the problems were worse than those encountered in Spain in 2024. The answer was rather concerning, adding further mystery around the root cause of the issue. There is still concern over the car’s design ride height being usable—almost confirming our initial hypothesis about the rear suspension.
A series of exchanges have led to the belief that the issue is far deeper, and Ferrari is trying to identify it as soon as possible. These words confirm what has emerged in recent hours about the internal atmosphere at Maranello, with two clear factions split over whether or not to use the new package.
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