Ferrari: performance and setup ability, the expected double step forward. The latest insights on Ferrari’s performance and future developments.

Ferrari is in the eye of the storm, but according to Frederic Vasseur, nothing is lost yet in the 2025 Formula 1 championship. The season is very long, and the SF-25 is actually much better than what has been seen on track. This is his belief. There are some issues that, according to the Frenchman, will soon be resolved. Moreover, the inability to optimize results in the first two races of the season has made the situation appear worse than it is.

Patience is needed, according to the team principal of the Prancing Horse. It is the virtue of the strong, and it must necessarily accompany the historic team in the coming steps. Before delving into certain aspects of this situation, it is worth focusing on the issue of criticism. Ferrari cannot expect that no one will judge the team for the poor results it has delivered.

And it is not a matter of bias or resentment. The Maranello team cannot and must not allow itself to fall into certain situations, and yet, as we have long known, it often finds itself trapped in these decisive dead ends. Blunders that are unacceptable for such a prestigious and important team. What we do not understand, for example, is the tendency to deny reality. Did Ferrari try to isolate itself during the winter? No one is saying otherwise, and that was fine.

Did Lewis Hamilton bring great enthusiasm? True, and thankfully so. That is why the streets around Fiorano were packed with fans. However, accusing the media of having “made noise” does not reflect reality. The journalists covering Formula 1 rightly highlighted the immense joy and excitement of the supporters. They told the story of the passion and high expectations surrounding Ferrari, especially considering how the team finished the final races of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Nevertheless, it was the protagonists themselves who set the objectives, not the journalists. Charles Leclerc stated that he would be disappointed if they did not win at least one of the two titles. Meanwhile, Frederic Vasseur himself confirmed that they were starting with the goal of winning the championship, describing it as the next step and emphasizing that they were working in that direction. That is why it is too easy to backtrack when it becomes convenient.

The potential of the Ferrari SF-25 is very high. This is the belief of the entire team, which spends countless hours each week working at the Maranello factory. Confidence is important in life, as long as it is grounded in solid reasoning. According to information gathered and reported by the Italian media, the team is ready to push the accelerator. Nothing will be left to chance, starting from Japan.

Next month, the first developments for the two Italian F1 cars will arrive. Updates will correct specific technical parameters, allowing the SF-25 cars to perform at their best. This is the team’s intention, with little doubt about the effort being made, convinced that hard work will pay off. And let’s hope so, because the battle at the top is fierce. McLaren is not the only rival to beat.

Red Bull’s RB21, driven by Max Verstappen, as well as the two Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, are also serious contenders. George Russell has stepped into the role of mature leader after Lewis Hamilton’ departure, while the young Italian driver shows no reverence toward his colleagues, keeps his foot down, and makes very few mistakes. However, Ferrari can no longer afford errors—neither with the upcoming updates nor in race execution.

It is precisely on this last point that we focus the final thoughts of this article. Frederic Vasseur rightly highlighted a crucial aspect of the current technical regulations governing ground-effect cars: the ability to fine-tune the car in order to extract maximum performance. This is absolutely true, and we have been saying it for three seasons now. The same applies to the confident, sometimes bold, approach that Ferrari has taken. That’s fine.

But there is a “however” that must be considered. Even when optimizing every last bolt on the Ferrari SF-25, the car’s intrinsic potential remains decisive. If it is not on par with the frontrunners, over time, the goal fades. This is why a technical step forward is necessary. It is not always about whether a circuit suits the car’s characteristics or not. Those who win are strong everywhere—or almost everywhere.

The Ferrari team principal stated that a seven-second gap gained in just one-third of the race, referring to the Sprint Race, was perhaps the clearest demonstration of dominance among all the races so far. That’s fine, Fred, but Max Verstappen was holding up the McLaren, otherwise, Oscar Piastri would have set a much stronger pace. Understanding one’s capabilities to maximize them is essential, but at the same time, another performance step is needed to fight on equal footing with Woking’s team and the rest of the pack.