Ferrari SF-25: not just suspension issues, aerodynamics at core of the problem

Ferrari has problems and the Maranello team is trying to solve them in order to give meaning to its 2025 Formula 1 championship campaign, which, unfortunately, must be said, has started in the worst possible way. Is time running out? Generally speaking, yes, especially in the top category of motorsport, where every small detail can make a big difference. However, nothing is lost. There are still twenty-two races to go, in which recovery is certainly possible. The Prancing Horse believes in it and is working toward this goal.

Acceleration in Development
Even before the season began, during the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit, we spoke about the first updates to the Italian car. Over the three days of on-track testing in Sakhir, things did not go as they should have. That is why, since the last week of February, the Maranello team has accelerated its development plan, aiming to introduce some initial updates in Japan if possible, with the rest coming in the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

However, it won’t be easy and you can consider this a warning since the first two races have revealed additional unexpected issues. The most important element in generating aerodynamic load for a wing car is the floor. The Ferrari engineers and technicians are working on this key component with the intention of introducing some updates, benefiting from the various insights gathered from the data provided on track.

The issue related to ride heights could also be aerodynamic in nature. After all, we know how delicate these elements are, as they are crucial to the overall performance of the car and to making any technical project effective under the current Formula 1 regulations. If we want to review recent events on track, we can analyze what is happening to Ferrari.

Rear Squat Is Not the Root of All Problems
The race at the Albert Park circuit in Australia remains shrouded in mystery. Why was the Ferrari “forced” to raise the car? Had they already calculated that it might not comply with the skid block regulations? In China, they went outside the rules because they raised the car too little for the race. Preventing the floor from lowering beyond a certain limit should be relatively simple from a technical standpoint, as it is not difficult to determine the end stop of the elastic elements.

Moreover, these components are “non-linear,” meaning that under high loads, stiffness increases significantly. This measure is also intended to reduce the complexity of setting up the car between qualifying and the race, where the level of aerodynamic load changes significantly. By increasing stiffness at certain loads, the goal is to achieve a similar response where the floor’s lowering can be limited. The porpoising issue with the Spanish-specification floor occurred because the floor oscillated between two “limit” configurations.

It is therefore difficult to believe that Ferrari has a problem with rear suspension squat, or, to put it better, the full picture might not yet be clear. The Italian team has encountered issues where lowering the floor led them to go outside the regulations. Fine. But within that range of ride heights, the floor was working very well. Perhaps they deemed it worthwhile to take more risks with setup in an attempt to gain absolute aerodynamic load with the car.

Tricks to Prevent Floor Deterioration

The SF-25 single-seater performs better at lower ride heights, but at the moment, it has a stability issue. With a greater degree of squat, the floor experiences more movement, and the overall downforce generated is lower. The Shanghai International circuit was not favorable to the Maranello team, as the stiffer philosophies of Red Bull and McLaren proved more effective. There was little that could be done from this perspective, although the Italian side could undoubtedly have found a better balance than the one it had on track.

Furthermore, if the issue is excessive floor wear at certain ride heights, it is possible that Ferrari is unable to exploit certain tricks as effectively as other teams. We know how many strategies are used to prevent excessive skid wear, particularly in the t-tray area and beyond. It is highly likely that this was what Charles Leclerc was referring to when, in Australia, he stopped discussing the topic in front of the microphones, unable to reveal more. The “controlled flexing” of certain areas of the floor is a well-established practice in Formula 1.

This is a method often pushed to the limit to bypass regulations while still passing inspections. A few millimeters of movement in fast sections of the track create a slight instability that, in the overall picture, prevents the car from running on rails like those of its competitors. This is why the SF-25 showed lower cornering speeds. Additionally, its suboptimal performance in Sector 2 further reduced the setup window across the entire circuit.

Not all tracks will expose this issue in the same way, but at the Shanghai circuit in China, these were the critical points. In the sprint race, Red Bull and McLaren had not yet optimized certain sections, as has often happened in the past, meaning they still had untapped potential. Ferrari, on the other hand, performed well, considering the different forces at play. However, by the end of Sunday’s race, the car was no longer competitive, even though it was lighter, by around 30 to 35 kilograms, just like in the Sprint.

Incorrect Interaction Between Floor and Rear Pull-Rod Suspension
As mentioned earlier, since excessive floor lowering can be controlled, it is unlikely that Ferrari cannot run certain ride heights solely because of excessive skid wear. In Charles Leclerc’s case, this did not even occur. The issue must therefore be found at the aerodynamic level, specifically in the interaction between the floor and the rear suspension. Greater squat cannot be seen purely as a flaw, especially considering that it aids traction phases. These are simply different suspension philosophies.

In China, these characteristics were more pronounced due to the unique and challenging track layout. Even during testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Ferrari’s cornering weaknesses were clearly visible. Something is not working properly on the aerodynamic side. It is therefore plausible that the aerodynamic map is still more limited than McLaren’s while waiting for floor developments.

The goal is to achieve better control of the airflow that is accelerated and manipulated beneath the car. It is important to remember that the floor-generated downforce is regulated by several angles, primarily roll and yaw. The vertical force is mapped based on variations in these two parameters to define a region where the downforce remains both stable and high.

The larger this area is, in general, the better a Formula 1 car will perform. In the case of the Ferrari SF-25 single-seater, it is evident that this area is more restricted, and at the Shanghai circuit, this limitation became fully apparent in all its forms. The first floor updates are being developed precisely to address this issue, with the aim of improving airflow management and permanently expanding the aerodynamic map.