At last, the much-anticipated filming day has arrived for Scuderia Ferrari, along with the debut of the team’s brand-new suspension system on the SF-25. Charles Leclerc was the first driver to take to the track at the iconic Mugello circuit during the morning session. He completed an important initial assessment of the new update before handing over the cockpit to his teammate Lewis Hamilton for an equally intense afternoon run.
Filming days in Formula 1 are officially limited to 200 kilometers of track action per team, which must be split between the two drivers. Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque driver, was given the morning session, during which he focused on evaluating the highly anticipated new suspension. This update is expected to make its competitive debut at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Once the on-track activities conclude at Mugello, Ferrari engineers will hold a thorough data analysis briefing to determine whether the suspension is ready to be introduced in race conditions.
Charles Leclerc successfully completed his share of the program, handing over the SF-25 to his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who took the wheel for the afternoon session. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was tasked with gathering additional performance data under different conditions as he tested the same suspension setup during his run at Mugello.
Why Ferrari’s Filming Day at Mugello Is Crucial for the SF-25 Project
But why is this particular filming day so significant for Scuderia Ferrari and the SF-25? The answer lies in one of the car’s most critical weaknesses throughout the current Formula 1 season: the suspension system. Up to this point, Ferrari’s 2025 challenger has frequently struggled with maintaining optimal ride height. These issues have directly led to excessive tyre degradation and, in some extreme cases, damage to the skid block located on the floor of the car.
One of the most glaring low points of Ferrari’s season occurred at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both cars were disqualified after the race due to excessive skid wear — a direct consequence of the car running too low and aggressively hitting the track surface. This persistent challenge with ride height has been a central weakness for the SF-25, prompting the team at Maranello to develop and test a revised suspension system in hopes of turning the season around.
The updated suspension components appear to focus on creating more space around the transmission area. This design change aims to improve shock absorption capabilities and, crucially, deliver better control of ride height under dynamic conditions. If everything goes according to plan and the results from Mugello confirm the engineers’ expectations, Ferrari will be able to lower the SF-25’s ride height even further.
Such a setup would allow the car to operate more effectively in the aerodynamic sweet spot — the zone that generates the highest levels of downforce. At the same time, it would offer both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton a more stable and less compromised configuration. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the extreme setups previously required to hide the shortcomings of the chassis and provide a more balanced and competitive car for the second half of the 2025 Formula One World Championship.
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