F1 | Ferrari reveals performance gain from new suspension, but perfect execution still needed. Ferrari’s new rear suspension brought a measurable performance gain at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Following the qualifying session for the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, more clarity has emerged regarding the performance gain introduced by Scuderia Ferrari’s latest suspension development. The new component, applied to the rear end of the SF-25 single-seater, has delivered a measurable but limited improvement—one that, while positive, has not been sufficient to challenge McLaren’s dominance for pole position at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

As Charles Leclerc hinted, expectations tend to skyrocket each time Ferrari introduces updates to its car. Fans and media alike often anticipate game-changing results, believing that the addition of new parts will suddenly transform the performance of the Maranello-based team’s car and allow both Charles Leclerc and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton to instantly become the fastest drivers on the grid. In reality, however, as the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying results demonstrated, the updated rear suspension did not allow the Ferrari SF-25 to truly threaten McLaren for the front row.

Both Ferrari drivers were well aware of this limitation. Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who qualified in third position, addressed the situation directly during the post-qualifying press conference. He pointed out that the level of hype surrounding Ferrari upgrades is often exaggerated. According to Charles Leclerc, while the new parts do offer a marginal improvement, the team still remains three-tenths of a second behind the pace needed for pole position. His exact sentiment was that, “There’s always too much hype around us. The new components definitely give us something more, but we’re still three-tenths off pole.” That performance gap remains unclosed—and realistically, it may not be narrowed any time soon, especially with most teams now beginning to shift their development focus toward their 2026 cars.

The True Gain from the Suspension Revealed

Veteran journalist Leo Turrini offered his take on Ferrari’s current form in his latest column published in Il Quotidiano. According to Turrini, the performance advantage provided by Ferrari’s new rear suspension component has now been roughly quantified. “Thankfully Charles is still here. With what Ferrari is currently producing—honestly, very little—without Leclerc, how could we even vaguely hold on to any hope? That said, settling for a distant second place behind McLaren doesn’t make you a real Ferrari fan. And team principal Frédéric Vasseur feels the same way, I say this with full confidence. The ‘miracle suspension’ gives something, yes, but I had already been told: it’s worth about a tenth per lap, if everything is working perfectly,” wrote Turrini in his blog.

Leo Turrini on Hamilton’s Struggles at Spa

Leo Turrini then turned his attention to Lewis Hamilton, whose Belgian Grand Prix weekend has been described as one of the most difficult of his entire Formula 1 career. “Let’s talk about Hamilton. So far, this has been the worst weekend of his career. Lewis makes me think of the title of another legend’s autobiography—Vittorio Gassman’s A Great Future Behind Him. Only he knows the full truth. How much of the blame lies solely with a poorly designed car, one that has had fundamental flaws since pre-season testing in Bahrain? That track limits mistake wasn’t like him. Period.”

Leo Turrini also dismissed the recent controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s comments about Ferrari’s performance and internal processes. “I honestly don’t care about the backlash to what Lewis said in the last few days. What was he supposed to say? That he’s satisfied with how the Scuderia has performed so far? Come on. When you bring a legend like him into your team, you know exactly what you’re getting—both the positives and the negatives. And of course, every driver has their own style. But let’s stop with the hypocrisy: we haven’t won in almost twenty years, and just like the journalists aren’t to blame, neither is the person pointing out uncomfortable truths,” he concluded.

This detailed picture of Ferrari’s current situation highlights both the technical progress made and the broader challenges that remain. The team is still in pursuit of the consistency and development precision needed to compete consistently with the likes of McLaren and Red Bull Racing—particularly as the sport nears the pivotal 2026 regulation reset.