After the third and final day of winter testing in Bahrain, the calmness and desire to stay low-key were the common denominator in the Sakhir paddock for all ten teams. Especially for the top teams, playing hide and seek is a useful strategy to avoid unnecessary pressure. A logical game, one might say, which inevitably leads every member of any team to avoid talking about the performance on track and to maintain maximum caution at all times, especially when facing rankings and what was seen on the track: factors that, at this point, leave several doubts among insiders. And logically, Ferrari is no exception to this description, as both team principal Frédéric Vasseur and the two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, preferred not to comment on the car’s performance ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Fred Vasseur’s Assessment
At the end of the three-day test, Ferrari’s team boss gave an assessment of the team’s work in Bahrain, emphasizing how difficult it is to draw conclusions given the many variables. He spoke about the growth and feedback on the SF-25, which appears to have confirmed the numbers from the wind tunnel, but did not overly impress the two drivers. The car has great potential in various areas (particularly suspension), but there are also areas where the technicians will need to make adjustments to achieve better balance and pure performance. This is the picture that Leo Turrini discussed in his “Profondo Rosso” blog.
Leo Turrini’s View
The well-known journalist essentially summed up the Sakhir tests, highlighting how difficult it is to make a final judgment and understand the real performance of the teams. However, he admitted that, in his opinion, Ferrari did not impress either the drivers or the technicians. Moreover, according to his information, there will be a lot of work to do at Maranello, although the 24-race calendar will allow everyone to express their potential over the course of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
“Pre-season F1 tests should always be taken with a pinch of salt. No one shows all their cards. Furthermore, this time, the weather conditions in Sakhir were unusual. And the country priest, Fred Vasseur, is absolutely right when he points out that the climate in Melbourne will be completely different. That said, the SF-25 was not up to expectations. Charles Leclerc said it openly. Lewis Hamilton was more cautious, but beyond the media excitement, he wasn’t enthusiastic either. As they say in the jargon, there’s a lot of work to be done. I’ll add that in a 24-race championship, the 24 hours of testing are simply an indication of a clue. But as of today, McLaren is ahead, and Red Bull with Max Verstappen behind the wheel may be too.” – the Italian journalist concluded.
