Ferrari and McLaren take diverging paths in the pursuit of maximum downforce

It won’t be easy for Ferrari in Monaco. The eighth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season presents a tough challenge for the Italian side, given that the narrow streets of the Principality, Charles Leclerc’s home race, may not suit the SF-25. In the press conference, the Ferrari driver was quite clear about his own expectations, although he promised maximum effort and did not rule out the possibility of something unexpected, similar to what has happened in the 2025 Formula 1 season so far.

Underwhelming impressions
Ferrari is not giving up. The historic Italian team still needs to make its biggest push when it comes to aerodynamic upgrades—specifically, the package set to arrive in Spain next week. Additionally, the Technical Directive TD018 directive will come into effect, which could disrupt the current competitive order. That is a hope Ferrari harbors, particularly regarding McLaren. In top-tier motorsport, things can change quickly.

Last season is a perfect example, and Charles Leclerc himself mentioned it in Thursday’s press conference. However, there was a revealing moment in his comments. After seven Grands Prix, the Monegasque driver (like the rest of the team) still has no clear idea what is wrong with the car. This raises a natural question: can you fix an F1 car mid-season if you don’t know what’s wrong with it?

Logic would suggest no. The reflection on Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur is also interesting. If things don’t go as hoped, it will be up to Fred Vasseur to make a decision. This implies that such a scenario has already been considered. On one hand, that might be normal, but to bring it up right before the update package isn’t encouraging. Let’s be honest: Ferrari itself doesn’t seem particularly confident.

Same goal, different route
The Maranello team has chosen to use the same rear wing as last year. This move was purely driven by the desire to save budget cap resources. That is because the Monaco circuit requires solutions that are essentially custom-made for this single race, and which can only be used on a few other tracks during the season. So, reusing the 2024 specification does have its logic.

We can see that the wing features a very broad main plane and a fairly pronounced leading edge across the full width. The goal, of course, is to generate as much downforce as possible, given the low average speeds of the circuit winding through the Principality’s streets. In the image above, we compare the two specs, which appear identical.

McLaren shifts philosophy: new wing for high-downforce tracks
For the 2025 Formula 1 season, McLaren has opted for a markedly different specification from last year. In the image box, we see a comparison with the 2024 wing, where the main plane is completely different. For this type of high-downforce circuit, the Woking team is taking a radically different approach. We see a much more pronounced leading edge, even if the frontal area is smaller compared to Ferrari.

Though we are talking about opposite design philosophies, they aim to achieve the same goal: generating maximum downforce. Earlier in the 2025 Formula 1 campaign, the two specifications were more similar. Aerodynamic efficiency does not matter much here, as it doesn’t significantly impact lap times. However, the rear wing will play a major role in amplifying airflow expansion in the diffuser area.

Clearly, both rear wing versions are designed to produce similar levels of downforce. However, much will depend on the aerodynamic and especially mechanical decisions made. As always, it comes down to finding the right compromise—the equation needed to extract peak performance.