Ferrari has worked hard with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pursue its ambitions. By now, we know very well the goal of the Prancing Horse: fighting for both Formula 1 world titles. No one is hiding it. Both the team and the drivers have reiterated it. Frédéric Vasseur is at the helm of a renewed team with an intense desire to return to success. The Italian side’s two drivers are no different. They are driven by different motivations. On one side, there is the Monegasque, who, at 27 years old and after six seasons with the Maranello team, is determined to become world champion.
On the other side, there is the Briton. He has already won seven championships, equaling Michael Schumacher’s record. At over 40 years old, he has taken on a new challenge to claim his eighth title, aiming to become the most successful driver in history. Achieving this with Ferrari—a team that has not won anything in nearly seventeen years—would cement his place in the legend of the most important Formula 1 team, making him a sort of national hero who restores joy to Maranello after more than a decade and a half of waiting.
A comparison between Charles Leclerc’s best lap in the second session of 2025 testing and his best lap from last year’s pre-season tests in Sakhir with the SF-24 gives us a first glimpse of how much progress the new Ferrari has made. Improvements in the setup of a car that is 99% new, as Frédéric Vasseur himself emphasized well in advance. The most significant step forward made by Ferrari is immediately apparent when analyzing our telemetry comparison.
It is found in the snake section, referring to the fast sequence in the second sector comprising turns 5, 6, and 7. The SF-25’s mid-corner speed difference is truly remarkable. It is 14 kilometers per hour faster in turn 6 and an impressive 16 kilometers per hour faster in turn 7. The most interesting aspect is that Maranello’s latest aeromechanical creation can go full throttle several meters earlier and, as if that were not enough, manages to take this section of the Middle Eastern circuit flat out without any lift-off.
In general, when observing the telemetry data, it is evident that in every corner, the minimum speeds favor the Ferrari SF-25. The same applies to the acceleration phase, where the 2025 car can get on the throttle much earlier, demonstrating the team’s progress in terms of traction as well. From the speed curve trends, it appears that the power unit was not operating at its full potential, as it does not unleash all its power at the end of the straights, with a flattening of top speed in the final meters before braking. This is particularly noticeable before turn 11 and turn 14.
The additional data gathered from the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain compares the average speed over a lap with the average between top and minimum speed. This further confirms that Ferrari worked extensively yesterday on fine-tuning the car’s balance. The reasons for this are quite clear: extracting the maximum performance from the SF-25, both in qualifying configuration and in race simulation, where they simulated a 300 kilometer stint with a high fuel load on board. The results in push laps are more than evident.
As for race pace, it cannot be said that Ferrari’s handling was poor. On the contrary, the car was composed and relatively neutral. However, as highlighted in yesterday’s analysis, Ferrari simulated a Grand Prix scenario where McLaren appeared more prepared. The lap times were not on par with McLaren’s, which also showed greater consistency over multiple laps. This is an initial indication that requires further confirmation, as fuel loads were unknown, as were the engine and hybrid system mappings.
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