The 2025 Formula 1 season is about to start. We therefore decided to compare Ferrari and McLaren in preparation for the first round of the new championship, the Australian Grand Prix at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, by analyzing the most significant on-boards during the Bahrain pre-season testing session. A written analysis to check the behavior of the cars in question, SF-25 and MCL39. First of all, a fact must be specified. During the three days of track testing in Sakhir, the performance of the cars is still subject to various interpretations. Therefore, the comparison, although absolutely real, does not represent the maximum performance but rather the sum of the approach observed on track for Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri.
Ferrari’s excellent traction
Let’s begin this qualitative examination starting from turn 1. Ferrari has often suffered some inaccuracies in corner entry. Also, due to the new pull-rod front suspension, which handles load transfers differently, the drivers had to find the right balance during braking, one of the strong points of the cars with the Prancing Horse in recent years.
In this specific case, between Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, we notice a slight difference in the approach to turn 1, which, as a reminder, is immediately followed by a very quick direction change in full acceleration that leads into the straight heading to turn 4. Turns 2 and 3 are taken at full throttle. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion often tries to slightly anticipate the apex point.
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This condition positions him better for the direction change. Looking at the telemetry data, we can see how the Italian car showed excellent traction. Oscar Piastri tries to carry more speed to the apex, but does not position himself as well as the Briton. McLaren tried several racing lines in order to better understand how to exploit the car. However, on some occasions, the Australian slightly lost the rear when going on the throttle exiting turn 1.
Ferrari lacking rotation
Now we reach turn 4, one of the most difficult corners on this track, along with turn 10. Oscar Piastri generally tends to take a different line compared to the Ferrari on entry. At the center of the corner, car number 44 showed a lack of rotation, highlighted by the larger steering angle in the image. Oscar Piastri is also not immune to understeer, although it is less pronounced compared to that of the SF-25 single-seater.
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On the other hand, we are talking about a corner that tends to generate this type of phenomenon, considering the outward tilt. On exit, in fact, we can see how both use almost the same portion of the track to best lay down all the horsepower of the Ferrari SF-25’s power unit. Between the apex and exit, Lewis Hamilton was often forced to make small steering inputs to correct the understeer. McLaren didn’t need to do this.
Ferrari’s limits in cornering are evident. In this section of the track, we find the biggest differences between the two cars, which aim for benefits in different parts of the circuit. Ferrari, in fact, is known to prefer developing mechanical grip, while McLaren, on the other hand, focuses more on aerodynamic downforce. From the onboard footage, we can clearly see how Piastri is able to attack the curb with much more ease at high speeds, cutting small portions of the track to be faster.
Looking at the telemetry data, it is evident that the MCL39 single-seater is able to maintain higher minimum speed through turn 6. Then, looking at the steering angle: Lewis Hamilton has a larger angle compared to Oscar Piastri, indicating a greater tendency for understeer in the Maranello-based car. To clarify right away, having some lack of rotation should not be seen as a completely negative sign.
The same applies if the car exhibits a certain degree of oversteer. The perfect balance of the car is never neutral in Formula One. Understeer and oversteer, depending on the phase of cornering, are useful to navigate the corner more efficiently. For example, on exit, one would ideally want a higher degree of understeer, while during cornering, a certain level of oversteer would be more useful to rotate the car better.
Turn 8 is a rather tight hairpin, where once again Ferrari’s lack of rotation is evident at the center of the corner. This will be one of the main factors to address for the Australian Grand Prix weekend, in order to generate more stability on entry and especially on exit. During acceleration, in fact, looking at the Ferrari, it often happened that the understeer would turn into excessive rotation, due to the larger steering angle used to enter the corner.
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McLaren performs quite well in turn 10, at least from entry to apex. Based on the onboard footage, the two cars in question have the same steering angle at the center of the corner. On exit, the SF-25 single-seater is more effective, laying down the power of the power unit 066/15 better on the ground. This is due to a higher degree of squat allowed by the rear suspension. McLaren, on the other hand, tends to use more stiffness to stabilize the aerodynamic platform, having better traction at higher speeds.
Turn 11 requires higher aerodynamic downforce for more effective cornering speed. On entry, Oscar Piastri can use more of the track to widen the entry. In general, the major difference lies in the quality of the front end, which allows McLaren drivers to “throw in” the car without issues and aim directly for the apex. Ferrari, however, is forced to round off the racing line more to ease the work required on entry. At the apex of this corner, Ferrari confirms the lack of rotation.
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Reaching the apex causes some problems when climbing onto the curb itself, considering the car should not have issues attacking this part of the track. McLaren also has some issues, as, in the first part of the corner, the MCL39 climbs onto the curb generously, but on exit, it tends to lose composure. Being too front-end biased does not help, considering that a forward balance must be corrected to maximize performance.
The last corner is turn 13, which is very difficult to navigate and interpret due to its negative banking. In this corner, the Ferrari SF-25 car found a more practical balance and did not have too many difficulties approaching the apex. However, we can say that the steering angle remains greater at the apex compared to the one used by McLaren. Again, the tendency of the MCL39 is to lose composure on exit, where the rear lightens and reduces traction.
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In conclusion, let’s briefly sum up. As widely mentioned, McLaren has shown to be more ready compared to Ferrari. However, the Maranello team has worked hard to achieve the car’s balance. The goal was to minimize understeer to improve cornering and fully exploit all the characteristics of the Italian car. In just a few days, we will find out if they have succeeded.
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