Ferrari are intensifying their push to unlock greater performance from the SF-25, beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix — a crucial round as the team attempts to reignite a faltering 2025 Formula 1 season.
Ten races into the championship, it’s evident that the Scuderia have regressed compared to last year’s campaign. Charles Leclerc’s memorable triumphs in Monaco and Monza in 2024 remain a distant memory, replaced this season by a trio of podium finishes that stand as his top achievements so far.
For Lewis Hamilton, the transition from Mercedes to Ferrari has proven even more exasperating. His only bright spots have come in the form of Sprint Race victories, highlighting the team’s struggles in full-length Grands Prix.
While McLaren and Mercedes have made consistent progress over the winter and early season, Ferrari have failed to keep pace with their primary rivals. Despite this, team principal Fred Vasseur and his technical department maintain belief in the underlying potential of the SF-25 chassis — a car they feel should be regularly challenging for victories. However, critical design shortcomings have prevented that promise from being realised, with Hamilton’s post-race disqualification in China underlining the severity of the performance constraints.
The Austrian Grand Prix marks the return of Formula 1 to European soil — traditionally a point in the season where teams roll out updates more efficiently due to reduced logistical strain. While many squads are targeting the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for their major developments, Ferrari have opted to expedite one vital modification to their car.
Ferrari fast-tracking new floor upgrade for Leclerc and Hamilton ahead of Austrian Grand Prix
According to a report from Italian source AutoRacer, Ferrari are introducing a redesigned floor for both SF-25 cars in Spielberg. The update is aimed at addressing some of the mechanical inefficiencies currently holding the team back — specifically the narrow operational window which has proven to be a major obstacle.
Although Maranello engineers had originally planned to implement a new rear suspension setup to improve balance and traction, they now believe that this floor redesign could deliver meaningful performance gains. Both aerodynamic chief Diego Tondi and technical director Loïc Serra have reportedly approached the new design with a blank-slate mindset, hoping to eliminate what internal sources are calling a “serious handicap” in race conditions.
The new component won’t immediately transform Ferrari’s prospects, especially at the Red Bull Ring, where lap times are notoriously tight and margins between teams are expected to be razor-thin. Still, the floor update is seen as a necessary first step in building a more competitive second half of the season.
Although the floor was initially intended to debut at Silverstone, Ferrari made a last-minute decision to accelerate its development cycle and install it a week earlier. The aim is to test its effectiveness under race conditions as soon as possible, and begin gathering vital data ahead of more comprehensive upgrades in the coming weeks.
Ferrari’s history at the Austrian Grand Prix offers inspiration amid current struggles
The Austrian Grand Prix first appeared on the F1 calendar in 1964 with Lorenzo Bandini securing victory for Ferrari — a race that marked the beginning of a special relationship between the team and the Styrian venue. While the event has had several interruptions over the decades, Ferrari have emerged victorious more times in Austria than any other team, with seven wins to their name.
Charles Leclerc last secured a win for the Prancing Horse at the Red Bull Ring in 2022, joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton — then still a Mercedes driver. Fred Vasseur and the Scuderia would relish a repeat of that result, as Ferrari seeks to return to the top step of the podium.
Alongside Lorenzo Bandini and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari legends such as Jacky Ickx, Eddie Irvine, and Michael Schumacher have also conquered Austria, cementing the team’s rich legacy at this circuit.
Lewis Hamilton now hopes this latest upgrade package can finally allow him to join that exclusive list of Ferrari winners in Austria — and deliver the breakthrough result the team so desperately needs.
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