At the Mexican Grand Prix, the list of updates from most teams was limited, but some are still trying to play strategic cards. Among them, Red Bull is undoubtedly the most aggressive, having introduced yet another floor development this season. Most other teams focused on adjustments to cope with the thin air at over 2,000 meters above sea level. Brakes, the Power Unit, and all electrical components require larger air vents to dissipate heat. This has been a particularly sensitive issue for Ferrari, which has struggled with brake management since the start of the season, partly due to the limitations of the SF-25. Often, Maranello engineers adopt aggressive solutions to heat the tires in qualifying or avoid opening vents too much in order to preserve aerodynamics in sensitive areas.
At the Singapore GP, an error occurred, which Matteo Togninalli explained was due to miscalculations. The risk taken did not yield the expected results, forcing the team to review some procedures and tools to avoid repeating the same mistake in Mexico, which could have forced the drivers into a defensive, management-focused race.
Ferrari: rear wheel corner change reflects a different approach for Mexico
This season, much discussion has focused on brake ducts and wheel corners. One of McLaren’s secrets is the ability to heat the tires quickly without overheating them. For much of the season, Red Bull and Mercedes have often been competitive in cool conditions, rain, and qualifying thanks to their ability to bring tires quickly into the optimal window, but they struggle in long stints or in hot conditions. Ferrari, by contrast, has often managed tire degradation well but has not always hit the optimal window on a single lap, and struggles in cooler environments or on low-abrasion tracks. To address these issues, teams frequently work on brake ducts (adjustments not required to be declared to the FIA, as they are in non-visible areas) and wheel corners, which have become a critical zone in modern car development.
Throughout the season, Ferrari has remained conservative with brake duct design, needing to retain some heat that engineers normally try to vent to heat the tires. Some changes were made to the front duct in Monaco to adapt to the track, while the rear saw modifications to geometry and flap design with the introduction of the new rear suspension in Belgium, updating a design that had already been revised once in Imola. Additionally, Ferrari modified the front brake ducts once in Baku, almost a season-first innovation for the SF-25. In Mexico, beyond a hood with wider vents, a small update appears in the rear wheel area, specifically involving the wheel corners and air outlet, as explained by F1 experts Piergiuseppe Donadoni and Paolo D’Alessandro for autoracer.it.
This minor adaptation to the conditions conceals a specific preparation of the SF-25 for Mexico. Frederic Vasseur’s engineers decided not to touch the front ducts, leaving them as used in Austin, but opted to open the rear brake duct vents more. The choice is primarily aerodynamic, aiming not to disturb airflow from the front that passes over the car. By increasing rear brake cooling, Ferrari can rely more on the rear brakes to relieve the front. In this context, some experiments conducted by Charles Leclerc in the Austin Sprint Race, including brake-by-wire and brake migration tests, were useful for both qualifying and race at COTA. Overall, this represents a different approach compared to Singapore and, more generally, what has been seen so far this season, as Ferrari seeks the best compromise for the SF-25.
Leave a Reply