What kind of Ferrari did we see in Bahrain? What did the three days of testing at the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir in preparation for the 2025 Formula 1 world championship debut in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks reveal? Is the SF-25 a car with which the Prancing Horse can aim for both world championships?
At the moment, there is no clear answer, as the testing in Sakhir took place under unusual environmental conditions, with cool temperatures, sudden gusts of wind, and even some rain showers. But beyond the weather conditions, some evaluations of the red car can be made. In absolute terms, the SF-25 single-seater is not the most competitive car at this moment. The McLaren, reigning Constructors’ Champion, has pushed the limits with certain concepts on the MCL39, keeping the papaya-colored car a step ahead of the competition.
And if in Abu Dhabi, the last Grand Pirx of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Ferrari was very close to McLaren, as technical director Loic Serra spoke of a gap of 70 milliseconds per lap, there is now a feeling that the gap has unfortunately widened, with the Maranello team seemingly absorbed by its main pursuers, Red Bull and Mercedes.
The absolute performance is not what matters most, even though former Maranello driver Carlos Sainz stood out with Williams. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished second and third respectively, right behind the Spaniard, but it is clear that almost everyone was holding back. Mercedes, for instance, reportedly used engine mappings that sacrificed at least 15 horsepower. In short, no one wanted to reveal their true potential, Ferrari included. Simulations suggest that if the first Grand Prix were held in Sakhir, a pole time below 1.28. would not be unrealistic, meaning it would be more than 1.3 seconds faster than Carlos Sainz’s reference time in the pre-season testing session this week.
Therefore, attention should be on long runs and race distances. The first notable finding is that Ferrari has improved in limiting the wear of the new Pirelli tires.
However, the real question is why the red car is showing an unexpected difficulty in corner entry. The tense expression on Charles Leclerc’s face at the end of testing speaks louder than words. While Lewis Hamilton radiates positivity, the Monegasque appears more cautious. Charles Leclerc indicated that he would wait a bit longer before making a judgment, explaining that the Maranello team was working hard to improve the balance after struggling over the past two days. The Ferrari driver added that they would see how things unfolded at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne in the first round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The SF-25 is not yet fully sorted, most likely just behind schedule in its preparation. However, Charles Leclerc feels limited because the car cannot carry the braking phase all the way into the corner entry, undermining one of his key strengths—braking.
This week, an important simulator session is scheduled to analyze the problems and identify solutions. Two key aspects need to be understood: are the difficulties arising from an imperfect fine-tuning of the pull-rod suspension, the system Ferrari copied from McLaren and Red Bull, or is the SF-25 unbalanced in certain situations due to a shift in mass distribution, with more weight moved towards the rear?
This is no minor issue. The red car lacks drivability. It is highly plausible that it arrived in Bahrain underprepared and that the most effective setup for the pull-rod suspension has yet to be found. If this is the case, a solution will eventually be reached, even if it takes some time, and some issues may naturally fade away as temperatures become more representative of those found during the Formula 1 season.
When changing a suspension design, it is necessary to recalibrate the right parameters, and among the top teams, Ferrari is the only one that has completely redesigned its car. These initial difficulties were, therefore, somewhat expected.
If, on the other hand, the issues stem from the overall layout, the situation would be more serious, as making major adjustments once the season has begun would be very complicated. However, no one seems overly concerned about Lewis Hamilton’s early stop at the end of yesterday’s session, namely the hydraulic issue in the transmission is better encountered during testing. The gearbox is a new design, which is shorter, but its internal system remains the same, suggesting this was an isolated incident without further consequences.
There is no sense of discouragement within the team, which suggests that the SF-25 single-seater has a solid foundation and simply requires further work. Concerns arose on Thursday when Lando Norris was lapping a full second faster in long runs, but adjustments made in the right direction halved the gap in just one day. This indicates that Ferrari responds well to setup changes. At most, it could be a car that struggles more in cold conditions, unlike McLaren, which thrives in critical conditions. Not surprisingly, McLaren remains the most “universal” car on the grid.
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