Ferrari approaches the Singapore Grand Prix with a cautious and measured attitude, and perhaps this is the most sensible strategy in a Formula 1 championship where the smallest details and unexpected setbacks can easily alter the competitive order. Formula 1 has always been about fine margins, but in the 2025 season the level of detail is even higher, and the tiniest factors can make the difference between fighting for victory or dropping back into the midfield. One of the most decisive elements remains the tyres, which continue to create significant challenges for the Italian team. The management of tyre compounds has been a recurring problem throughout the season, and the SF-25 has often struggled to extract consistent performance from the Pirelli rubber.
It should not come as too much of a surprise, because the SF-25, also known internally as the 677 project, was not originally conceived with the natural ability to manage tyre degradation and performance in the most efficient way. This has been a weakness since the car’s debut and remains an area where the engineers at Maranello are still searching for improvements. Added to this persistent difficulty is the matter of ride height, which becomes particularly relevant at the demanding Marina Bay street circuit.
Ferrari: the missing handicap at Marina Bay
Under the technical regulations that currently govern Formula 1’s ground-effect era, the importance of the car’s floor cannot be overstated. This component is absolutely fundamental because it generates a very large proportion of the aerodynamic load in an extremely clean and efficient way. Unlike the downforce produced by front and rear wings, the Venturi channels under the car press the chassis directly onto the asphalt, without significantly increasing the level of aerodynamic drag. This allows cars to reach high levels of cornering grip without sacrificing too much straight-line speed.
For this aerodynamic phenomenon to work at its best, the single-seater must run very close to the ground, as a lower ride height strengthens the ground-effect suction. On the contrary, the higher the car runs above the track surface, the weaker the downforce becomes. Ferrari has consistently struggled in this area, as maintaining the design-intended ride height has proven to be a luxury the SF-25 cannot usually afford. The car tends to wear down the plank underneath the floor too quickly, which creates further limitations and forces the engineers to compromise.
Losing downforce from the floor is never a positive outcome, particularly when the starting point is already lower than that of rival cars like Red Bull, McLaren, or even Mercedes. To avoid losing straight-line speed by increasing drag, Ferrari often compensates by running with rear wing and front wing angles that are set lower than those used by some of its competitors. For instance, McLaren frequently chooses a higher wing incidence, but Ferrari cannot afford the same approach without sacrificing too much top speed. This is part of the inherent DNA of the SF-25, a car that has to live with this compromise as a constant technical burden.
Singapore, however, is not a typical Formula 1 circuit. It is a medium-to-slow speed street track filled with bumps, kerbs, and surface changes that force every single team on the grid to raise their ride height significantly. In such a scenario, when all of the competitors are obliged to increase ground clearance, Ferrari’s chronic weakness is neutralized to a considerable extent. The playing field is leveled, and the amount of vertical load generated by the floor of the SF-25 becomes much closer to that produced by rival cars.
This represents Ferrari’s first real advantage at the Marina Bay circuit, and it is one that the team must fully exploit in round number 18 of the 2025 season. The chance to avoid starting a Grand Prix weekend with a clear aerodynamic handicap allows the team led on track by Frédéric Vasseur to prepare for the race with more confidence. With the handicap less relevant, Ferrari can focus more calmly on achieving the right aero-mechanical compromise, something that is crucial for Singapore’s unique demands.
Mechanical grip will only deliver if Ferrari manages the tyres
Another key factor that Ferrari must maximize is mechanical grip. This is an area where the SF-25 has shown strong potential, provided the engineers are able to fine-tune the setup correctly. When the setup window is found, the car has demonstrated excellent traction and grip, as was clearly seen earlier in the season at the Monaco Grand Prix and again at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Both venues share certain characteristics with Singapore, as they are twisty tracks where mechanical grip and precision outweigh outright top speed.
These performances prove that the SF-25 can shine on circuits of this type. Singapore therefore represents another promising opportunity, but seizing it depends heavily on extracting the most from the tyres. On street tracks, the driver’s ability also plays a much greater role. Navigating close to the walls, braking late, and maximizing every single inch of track surface are essential skills. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have the talent, courage, and precision to do this. They are considered among the very best on the grid, and in Singapore their driving qualities could be decisive in helping Ferrari to achieve a strong result. Expectations are naturally very high for drivers of such caliber.
Yet, all of this technical potential and driver skill is entirely dependent on one fundamental element: the tyres. Tyre management has been the single most unpredictable factor of Ferrari’s 2025 campaign.
And this brings us back to the most critical weakness of the SF-25. Just a day ago, during the official press conference, Charles Leclerc recalled his pole position at the Hungaroring. He openly admitted that neither he nor the Ferrari engineers fully understood how such a result was achieved, which highlights just how uncertain and inconsistent the car’s relationship with its tyres has been. There have been countless occasions where the car simply failed to bring the tyre compounds into the proper operating window, leading to significant performance loss.
SF-25: the crucial factor
On other occasions, the SF-25 has managed to switch the tyres on, only for them to overheat after a few laps or even within the final sector of a qualifying run. This underlines how fragile and delicate the tyre operating window is for Ferrari. Accessing maximum grip and then being able to sustain it over an entire lap is absolutely crucial for qualifying performance. If the team fails to achieve this, the result is a substantial loss of lap time in qualifying, which has been a recurring frustration.
The same logic applies to the performance across a full Grand Prix distance of more than 300 kilometers. The team must be able to bring the tyres up to their target temperature and, even more importantly, maintain that ideal thermal state for as much of the stint as possible. When Ferrari fails to do so, tyre degradation increases rapidly, and overall race pace suffers heavily.
A clear example of this came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. There, the front tyres were consistently running below the optimal operating window. This compromised the SF-25’s performance on corner entry, which is a critical part of lap time on a street circuit. Every single lap, Ferrari was losing more time than its rivals in exactly these phases of the track.
With Singapore being another demanding street circuit, the central question remains: will Ferrari’s preparation be good enough to unlock the full performance potential of the SF-25? If the engineers can manage the tyre operating windows better than in previous races, then the combination of strong mechanical grip, neutralized ride height issues, and the talent of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could give Ferrari one of its best chances yet to challenge at the front in 2025.
Leave a Reply