The third free practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix will show whether Ferrari can confirm the trend seen yesterday: a strong pace in the afternoon session, but increased difficulties as night falls. Considering that the race is held under lights at Marina Bay, this is not a promising sign. Today will reveal if the SF-25 can correct these crucial details for the rest of the weekend.
SF-25 continues to be weather-sensitive
Both Ferraris started FP3 on Pirelli Yellow band tires, a choice aimed at gathering data for qualifying. The session is crucial, even though conditions do not exactly match those of the night race. The SF-25 remains highly sensitive to temperature changes, and Frederic Vasseur’s team must carefully interpret the data to optimize setup.
Hamilton went out first, while Charles Leclerc waited a few minutes for a more rubbered-in track. His first attempt started poorly: overheated brakes forced him to slow after the first corners. On the next lap, he completed the circuit but, like his teammate, took a cautious approach. Overall, the car’s behavior was not disastrous, but grip was lacking.
After a cool-down lap, both drivers pushed harder. Leclerc, however, aborted his lap as Hamilton had done earlier. The SF-25 was not in ideal conditions for a competitive lap, with tire limitations being the main constraint rather than brakes. Moments later, a red flag was shown after Lawson hit the barriers again in his Racing Bulls.
Cars returned to the pits to allow marshals to clear the track. The start of FP3 was not promising for the Italian team. Between tires and braking, the car struggled to find the correct operating window. The still “green” track complicated matters, but other teams also faced suboptimal conditions.
Ferrari’s usual lift-and-coast strategy
After the brief interruption, running resumed without setup changes. Track temperatures were about six degrees higher than FP1, a significant factor at Marina Bay affecting car balance. Ferrari is particularly affected by these thermal fluctuations, causing the SF-25 tires to overheat easily and compromising consistent performance.
The second run began in Engine 1 mode, with maximum internal combustion power. Onboard footage showed the difficulty in keeping the car within its optimal range. Hamilton lifted off after a few corners, while Leclerc aborted his lap in sector two due to a double yellow flag. He then returned to the pits for a standing start practice.
During the in-lap, Leclerc was instructed to lower internal temperatures as much as possible. Hamilton completed his lap, but the car’s characteristics were similar to the previous run: difficulty hitting apexes, with the rear moving under acceleration. The rear felt very light, perhaps too much. Afterward, both drivers began a race pace simulation.
A conservative hybrid engine mapping was chosen, with frequent lift-and-coast to manage overall temperatures. The car handled decently, but repeated lifting was a worrying sign. This was especially noticeable on Leclerc’s car, while Hamilton seemed less affected.
Overall, the two drivers completed five laps, though lap times are difficult to evaluate without fuel load data. The SF-25 showed encouraging race pace and more stability compared to a single-lap effort. At the end of the session, both cars returned to the pits for simulated tire changes. Meanwhile, Hamilton is under investigation for not maintaining an appropriate speed under red flag conditions.
Critical tire activation and management
The third stint was crucial, with both Ferraris running new Soft tires for the first time. The run started cautiously to avoid overheating. Some difficulty remained in hitting apexes accurately, but overall grip improved compared to earlier attempts.
Leclerc managed a competitive lap, closer to McLaren’s pace than in FP2. Afterward, he requested two clicks of additional front wing load to refine aerodynamic balance. Hamilton completed his lap slightly faster than his teammate, with a small gap indicating more consistent car behavior.
Two cool-down laps followed, during which engineers provided guidance for better corner entry and exit traction. On the next attempt, Leclerc aborted his lap due to excessive rotation in sector two, leading to a heated radio exchange with Bozzi over when to push on the next lap.
Hamilton, meanwhile, continuously adjusted the wheel to stabilize the car in corners. The SF-25 still oversteered on exit, requiring constant corrections. The rear remained nervous and demanded careful management. Despite some progress from the previous day, overall performance remained off the pace of the frontrunners.
Ferrari continues to show some instability, especially in the final sector. Entry understeer is partially controlled but still limits smoothness through corners. The key challenge remains proper tire activation and maintaining the correct temperature window—both critical factors that FP3 has not fully achieved.
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